From The Heart
by Chaseforever
Summary: Raimundo x Kimiko... Raimundo must save Kimiko from the clutches of Chase Young before it's too late, no matter what the hardship...
1. New Shen Gong Wu

This is my second fanfiction, 'From the Heart'. Yup, I do update a lot. I finished 2 chapters in one day… this is mostly Rai/Kim.

Disclaimer- I do not own Xiaolin Showdown, as much as I wish I did. Aki isn't a real character, more will be revealed later.

--

Kimiko Tohomiko stared out the window of the Xiaolin Temple, gazing at the endless sky and the brilliant, wispy clouds… She suddenly felt a hand on her arm.

"What do you want, Raimundo?" She said loudly, turning to look at the person. Raimundo again. Raimundo was so annoying sometimes.

"Hey, Kim, wanna come hang out with me and Clay? Omi's busy studying and all that… I wish he'd realize how to have some fun and stuff. He's worried about Jack and Wuya, of course, and especially Chase." Raimundo's light green eyes stared into her own deep cerulean ones, and she felt a weird feeling of lightness. She got up. "Sure, Rai." They walked out the door, thinking their own thoughts.

_Raimundo's actually kind of sweet. He's not all tough and big-shot even if he is arrogant and has a sort of rebellious character, _Kimiko thought.

_I hope Kimiko's not annoyed with me for asking. She was kind of in an 'alone' time when I asked her. But it'd be boring with just Clay and me. _Raimundo walked over to a part of the forest surrounding the temple.

"Hey Clay, Kimiko agreed to come," Raimundo said airily. "Kimiko, we're gonna just walk around and explore some of the forest. And hopefully there won't be any new Shen Gong Wu today…"

"Shen Gong Wu alert!" Dojo, the green gecko-like dragon, said happily. He had flown from above, carrying Omi. "It's called the Halberd of Aki, legendary Xiaolin warrior…"

"Man, the timing couldn't have been less perfect," groaned Raimundo.

"Whatever. Anyways, this Shen Gong Wu is one of the most powerful ones in existence. If the user is strong of will and spirit, it will unleash some kind of 'true power'…" Dojo continued. "Let's go!"

The four dragons-in-training mounted Dojo as he turned to his normal size, a towering dragon. They carried their usual Shen Gong Wu that helped them use their element better: the Star of Hanamie for Kimiko, the Sword of the Storm for Raimundo, the Fist of Tebigong for Clay, and the Orb of Tornami for Omi. From a great height, they looked down at the mountains and valleys of China. They traveled for a short while, then Dojo began descending as they approached a strange-looking tree that reached above them. Dojo landed gracefully, and the warriors stepped off.

"Whoa, kids… it's the Tree of Aki!" Dojo cried, as if this piece of information was a very significant fact to their mission.

"The tree of what?" Clay asked.

"Never mind the tree, get the Wu!" Dojo yelled in an urgent voice.

Omi, Kimiko, Raimundo, and Clay turned around and saw why he was yelling in such a tome: Jack Spicer, in all his 'great genius' was coming towards them and the tree. They could see it clearly: Jack, with his horribly red hair and dark eyes, a strange symbol on his left cheek, large goggles they had never actually seen him wear, mechanical wings, and an air of stupidity. He gave an evil laugh, and raced forward to the top of the tree. Kimiko saw first, and used a spare Wu- the Mantis Flip Coin- to get to the top of the tree. They touched it at the same time, and Kimiko yelled 'Xiaolin Showdown!' before Jack could get a chance to.

"All right, all right, what're the conditions?" Jack said, in an annoyingly bored voice, even though he was just about to partake in one of the most exciting events anyone had ever before done.

Kimiko thought for a moment, then said, "Whoever climbs to the top of this tree first wins!" The Xiaolin Showdown began as usual: everything moved around, the tree grew taller and its branches stretched far. And the Halberd of Aki zoomed to the very top of it, spinning in golden light.

"I wager my Changing Chopsticks for your Star of Hanamie. _And_ I call a Shen Yi Bu Dare. My Third Arm Sash against your Mantis Flip Coin. That thing is kind of getting old, don't you think? Oh well, you've got no style, you're one of the elite losers. The greatest losers of all. The Xiaolin losers! Muahahahaha!" Jack laughed evilly.

"Jack, just get _on_ with it already, OK?"

"Fine. Gong Yi Ten Pai!" Jack shouted at the same time as Kimiko.

Kimiko raced across the branches. This was a strange Xiaolin Showdown, it was too dark to really see much. But there was one direction that she knew she needed to be heading, and that direction was up. She used the Mantis Flip Coin to flip up over the branches. It was too dark…what if she got hurt? She had no clue which branches were where. Then an idea struck her: she could use her element, fire, to light up the area. Why hadn't she thought of it earlier? She was so stupid…

"Judo Lee Flip-Fire!" Kimiko called, using the Mantis Flip Coin to help her. Her hands had fire on them, and she could see the pathway very clearly now. Somewhere far above her, she heard strange rustling sounds. What was causing it? Perhaps Jack? But if she heard him making movement sounds, she'd obviously be hearing the babble of stupidity that always came out of Jack's arrogant mouth. She heard her friends, far down, cheering for her. And with their shouts, she knew she had to keep going, no matter how scared she was of whatever was up ahead.

She felt someone grab her from behind… "Jack Spicer!" she yelled. Darn… she had been thinking so much about what lay ahead that she had forgotten what lay behind- Jack Spicer, Evil Boy Genius. Or so he said.

"Yeah, hey Kimiko. I thought I'd kind of speed this whole process up by eliminating you. Jack Bots, attack!"

"No!" Kimiko yelled as the Jack Bots surrounded her. She kicked and fought them as Jack got ahead. "If you're gonna do it like this, then…Star of Hanamie- FIRE!" She destroyed all the Jack Bots, and hurried up the tree. That was when she heard them. Jack Spicer's agonized screams. She couldn't even make out what he was saying, just… kind of wild screaming. Her knees suddenly began buckling. What could make a person scream like that? She was very, very afraid now.

But she knew she had to get the Shen Gong Wu. Kimiko paced up the branches, reaching the point where Jack had been. He looked like he was knocked out cold. Then she heard it. The same rustling sound she had heard before. Something was coming towards her! In panic, Kimiko looked around with her eyes wide. What could it be?

She saw it. A huge, cloaked black _thing_ was coming. Slowly it glided over to her, and she heard laughing. Not Jack's usual pathetic laughing. Something that sent shivers down her spine. Kimiko was terrified. "W-what are you?"

The thing did not say anything, but instead merely glanced at the girl huddled on the floor. It reached its arms, which suddenly stretched to her, and she saw the Halberd in its hand. She realized that this was probably the top of the tree, as she suddenly saw the clouds that covered the area. The monster smiled- or at least, the closest thing to a smile it could have possible given anyone…

"You made it to the top without being too intimidated by me… this is now yours."

"WHAT?" This was not at all what Kimiko expected. She had expected it to try to kill her, to do something horrible… "So you mean Jack was knocked out just by fright?"

"Yes. The Showdown is over."

Everything returned to normal. Kimiko held the Halberd, and Jack was still sprawled across the floor, unconscious. Kimiko realized that she had not named fighting a fearful creature a part of the challenge, but it was one of the many unexpected twists in a Xiaolin Showdown. And now she could torment Jack for his patheticness- falling unconscious just because he had seen something scary?

"You did a great job, Kimiko. You have _most_ honorably won the Xiaolin Showdown!" Omi commented cheerfully.

"Yea, partner', that was some Spicer butt-kickin'!" Clay said.

Raimundo blushed a little and said, "Kimiko, great job! You got us a powerful Shen Gong Wu, and you totally kicked butt!"

Kimiko noted the strange nervousness and Raimundo's blushing cheeks. _Weird,_ she thought, _What does Rai have to be nervous about around me? Oh, it's probably just some guy thing, whatever._

And the Xiaolin Apprentices walked back to the temple, making jokes and talking in accents and laughing and having great fun, unaware that they were being watched by an evil force greater than any they had ever known. Chase Young.


	2. Unavoidable Feelings

First of all, thanks so much to you people who reviewed.

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown, even though I completely wish I did.

In the first chapter I added too little Kim/Rai stuff, so there's gonna be lots in this chapter. It's a little shorter, though. The chapter, I mean…

--

Chase Young stood at the top of the mountain on which he had been peeking at the Xiaolin monks. He had been very angry with then since his plan to turn Omi to the Heylin Side had failed, but he also knew not to be too disturbed by this fact. After all, there were many other weaknesses that he could detect… and now he knew he had just found one of them. Love. Because they cared for one another, it would cause them all to head straight to their downfalls. Instead of destroying the group one by one, Chase Young knew that he could now crush all of them together with his strength, and they would be helpless to stop it. He gave a cold laugh and walked to Jack Spicer, who had become one of his apprentices, although lame and pathetic.

"Come here," Chase commanded, waving his finger at Jack. "I have much work for you."

"Oh. My. God. _Chase Young_ has work for _me!_ This is a day to remember… Mom would be so proud of her evil boy genius son, already on his way to conquering the world… Love it!" Jack shouted, prancing around in an annoyingly cheerful manner for someone who had just failed a mission.

--

By the time they made it back to the Xiaolin temple, night had fallen. They had traveled a long distance, after all. Dojo allowed the monks to get off of his back, and they walked to their sleeping spaces.

"Ugh… I'm more tired' than a brokin'-legged deer walkin' a mile," Clay said sleepily. He was, like the rest of them, tired, and a little bit grumpy.

"Why are _you_ tired, Clay? _I'm_ the one who did the Showdown and kicked Jack's sorry little butt," Kimiko said. "Besides, if you're so tired, why don't you drop the accent? It's getting kind of old, you know, Clay."

"Kimiko, Clay, lay off," Raimundo said, too tired to care much. "You guys should get to sleep if you're so tired, and stop wasting energy on yelling."

"Yes, this is a most intelligent idea," Omi said brightly.

The four monks rammed into their sleeping bags and closed their eyes. They were exhausted from the traveling and the fight before. Even if Kimiko was the one who did the showdown, the others had helped in a way.

Raimundo had a strange dream that night. In it, there was a strange, dark mist covering the temple. He was wandering, trying to see what was happening. Clay and Omi were standing with him, shouting about the darkness… Then suddenly he realized something: Clay and Omi were with him. But…where was Kimiko? He heard screaming. "Help me, Raimundo! Help!" Raimundo ran as fast as he could towards the direction that he had heard the desperate screams. Then he saw Kimiko's body, sinking into the mysterious black mist. What was happening? Was Kimiko hurt? Would she…die? He ran towards her, shouting that he would help her, and he reached her arm just she was just about to sink in… but she slipped from his grasp. "NO! KIMIKO!"

Suddenly Raimundo woke in a cold sweat, and suddenly recognized his surroundings. The light was turned on, although judging from the view of the window, it was still nighttime. Then he looked up, and saw his three friends staring at him with weird expressions on their faces. Had he shouted out loud in his sleep? _Oh, God_, he thought, _did Kimiko hear me shout her name?_ He was suddenly embarrassed as he looked directly at Kimiko's shoes. He couldn't bear to look any of them in the eye; he didn't want to know what he would see.

"You wer' shoutin' all over the place, mate," Clay said, with a worried expression on his face.

"Yes, Raimundo, what Clay said was true," Omi said. He seemed to be very serious.

"Rai… are you okay? Why were you shouting my name?" Kimiko bent down and hugged him. When she did, she felt a tingling sensation down her spine… it felt warm and made her feel happy. She began to smile. "Rai, we're all right here with you. Always."

"Kim…" Raimundo started. He felt strangely comforted as she put her arm around him. And he was happy that Kimiko was still here, smiling and alive and like she always was. It was an immense relief.

"I had this weird dream that y-you sank into this weird black mist. It really frightened me," he spilled out, a little shakily. He wasn't sure if he meant it to come out like this and he probably sounded like a wimp, but he had a strange desire for Kimiko to speak to him some more. He knew he was acting different from the normal, cool image Raimundo and it probably worried her.

"I'm always with you, Rai. Don't ever doubt that I'm your friend…" Kimiko said, her ocean-colored eyes filled with understanding. She seemed so kind that at that moment, Raimundo felt like he was going to cry right on spot.

"Th-thanks, Kim." Raimundo had to pull himself together and start being himself.

"All righ', le's go back ta sleep now. It's pretty darn late," Clay said, and yawned.

"He is correct. We need to rest now and wake early," Omi said. Then he put a smile on his face and everyone braced themselves for his eternally incorrect slang or sayings. "The early chicken will catch the bug."

"Dude, it's 'the early bird catches the worm', Omi," Raimundo said, even though he didn't much feel like contradicting Omi's numerous speaking problems.

"Now at least I know you're back to being the old Rai," Kimiko said. "Well, I'll see you guys in the morning."

_Don't go, _Raimundo wanted to say, but he would sound really stupid and maybe even childish, like he was still scared of the nightmare. It _was _just a nightmare, right? There was no possible way it could be real…Kimiko was right here.

Omi flipped up to the ceiling, pointed his finger downwards from the ceiling, and zoomed at the light switch, pushing it down with great strength.

"Wow, Omi, you really should…just… oh, whatever." Raimundo was going to say that Omi was being too… he wasn't sure what. It was just…why did Omi have to come up with complicated moves for every little thing? Then, he realized, Omi was just being Omi. He had spent his whole life as a monk, and that was what he was trained to do. Probably, that was the explanation for why Omi annoyed him a lot. He was just not used to the way Omi lived.

Raimundo wrapped himself in his blankets, and fell asleep on the soft pillow. This time, he did not have horrible nightmares. It was a peaceful and blank sleep.

Kimiko, however, was wide-awake in her bed. She couldn't sleep. Her mind kept on thinking, remembering, over and over, what had happened before. She had been fast asleep, and then she just heard Raimundo, sounding so frightened… calling her name. It was suddenly almost instinctual to run over to Raimundo. And the strange tingling sensation she had when she hugged him… what did it mean? Was there something more than just friendship between them?

_No,_ she thought, _I'm not ready for that yet. But still…_

She would probably be restless forever unless she finally admitted it to herself. She clutched the blanket, and finally, she knew it was true. _I love Raimundo._

--

So what did you guys think? The next chapter a new Shen Gong Wu will be revealed.


	3. Bow and Arrow of Celestia

Yay! More reviews! Thank you, Kosmic, Kitty Nikki Chow, Mia Valentine, Deaf Lizgon, awsum-loser, and Michelleium for your reviewing! 

Disclaimer: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown or any of its characters. I've already mentioned that, but I figure I'll put up a lot of disclaimers anyways because I keep remembering.

This chapter is longer than the previous ones… not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Anyways, up for you readers is 'The Bow and Arrows of Celestia'.

--

Raimundo woke up early, for no reason. He decided he probably couldn't fall back asleep, so he paced around a little bit.

Suddenly, he had an idea. He was still wondering about last night, and Kimiko… he wondered what she thought about what happened. Was she mad at him for waking her up? Was she just worried? He walked out of the sleeping quarters and into the Shen Gong Wu vault. He walked down the rows of stairs and finally came to the right drawer. From it, he drew the Mind Reader Conch. He could hear the others stirring awake, and he knew this was his chance.

"Mind Reader Conch!" Raimundo said, in a soft voice just so the sleeping apprentices could not hear him. He heard Kimiko's thoughts as he walked back up the stairs.

Wow, I must have really fallen asleep after all. I guess it was because I finally admitted, at least to myself, that I love Raimundo…it kinda seems like a big weight falling off because I kept thinking about it. But I could never admit to anyone else, what if Raimundo will hate me?

Raimundo suddenly stopped, his face slightly red, and then shoved the Conch back in the drawer. The others were now walking out of the rooms they were in… Raimundo had to act fast. He ran up the stairs of the vault and tried to look like he was just out for a walk. But now he was extremely cheerful. Kimiko liked him!

"Raimundo! What have you been doing so early in the morning?" Omi asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing… I was just… um… going for a walk?" Raimundo asked, a little hopefully. He knew it was lame, but he didn't have another excuse.

"Hey pardner', how 'bout we all jus' train for a while, since we're up early and we need sum practice?" Clay said.

"Indeed! That is an excellent idea, Clay!" Omi exclaimed eagerly.

"We haven't tried out the Halberd of Aki yet, have we…?" Raimundo asked.

"Nope. But since I'm the one who won it, I think I should have a go at it first," Kimiko said. "We still don't know what it does yet though."

Kimiko fumbled the Shen Gong Wu drawers and finally came upon the Halberd. She yelled, "Halberd of Aki- Fire!" the Halberd arose and shot huge, vivid red flames at the bags she had thrown it at, and they burst immediately.

"Check this out! This is so cool!" Kimiko yelled, excited.

"Whoa, Kimiko!" Clay said. "Can I jus' try tha' Shen Gong Wu for a sec?"

"Sure, Clay. Here you go."

"Halberd of Aki- Earth!" Clay shouted. He stuck the Halberd into the ground, and the earth around it split in two. Sand and dirt spilled out in an extravaganza of beige.

"Whoaya!" Clay exclaimed.

"Um, can I try that next?" Raimundo asked. "That is one cool Shen Gong Wu and judging from what I saw, it works well with all our elements."

"Sure, why not, Rai?" Kimiko said. She hid her nervousness with her casual way of talking to people. It helped, and nobody seemed to notice.

"All right… Halberd of Aki- Wind!" Raimundo shouted. Suddenly, many tornados came out of the clouds and swirled, targeting a nearby tree, which was ripped to shreds almost instantly. "This is great!"

"Now may I please have my turn?" Omi said. All of them knew that so far, Omi was the strongest Xiaolin Apprentice and without his help they couldn't have gotten all the Shen Gong Wu that they had now.

"Ok, here ya go." Raimundo tossed it at Omi, who leaped into the air and caught it.

"Halberd of Aki- Water!" Omi yelled into the air. A huge wave of water hit the sky, rising above the clouds. Suddenly it all showered down on them, and the cold water felt good because it was such a hot day.

"Nice!" Kimiko said, smiling at the way the water felt.

Suddenly, Dojo came scampering towards them with a scroll in his hand. A scroll of Shen Gong Wu…

"Hey kids! A new Shen Gong Wu has just revealed itself! Two, actually. One's called the Arrow of Celestia. The other is the Bow of Celestia. Celestia is, like Aki, one of the greatest Xiaolin warriors. Celestia worked with Aki and 2 other Xiaolin Warriors to fight the Heylin side. These four Shen Gong Wu always reveal themselves together, or at least close…In fact, they were alive before I was born. Aki was the one who trained Dashi to such great strength- Grand Master! Just imagine that! Anyways, the Arrow of Celestia allows its user to shoot arrows of any element at their opponent. And these arrows aren't any normal arrows. Their power is drawn from the heavens… Enough talk, we gotta hurry if we want to beat Jack to it. Get on my back, everyone, we're heading towards Antarctica."

Omi, Raimundo, Kimiko and Clay put their coats on as they saddled onto Dojo. Dojo lifted himself into the air, heading into the dark clouds. They rode for about an hour. The air kept getting colder and colder as they went further, which signaled that they were getting closer to Antarctica. Finally, Dojo flew downwards and landed, letting the monks get off of his back.

"Look!" Omi cried, pointing to a large chunk of ice that had something inside. "The Bow and Arrow of Celestia!"

"Stand back, guys!" Kimiko yelled. "Halberd of Aki- Fire!" The Halberd's fire rose and took the form of a dragon, whose fiery head launched at the ice that was surrounding the mystical Bow and Arrow. The ice shattered into thousands of pieces, and the dragon vanished into thin air. Kimiko hurried towards the Shen Gong Wu, hoping that Jack Spicer or maybe even Chase would not get there first.

Suddenly, Kimiko saw a shape fast approaching the Shen Gong Wu too. A silhouette of…a cat! Katnappe! Kimiko knew she had to hurry and run, or else Katnappe would get her filthy hands on it!

"Me-ow, Kimiko!" Katnappe said, waving her tail. "I'm faster than you are, girl."

"Oh yeah?" Kimiko shouted angrily. Katnappe was so annoying sometimes. But now, Kimiko didn't have time to think about it. Katnappe was going to take the Shen Gong Wu! Then she suddenly heard Raimundo say, behind her, "Wind!" A breeze fluttered around her, carrying the Bow and Arrow of Celestia out of Katnappe's grasp and into Raimundo's hands. "Ha! Kitty girl, _I've _got the Bow and Arrow now!"

"Or do you?" Jack's voice called out. He reached out and grabbed for it, but only managed to knock it out of Raimundo's hands. Raimundo hurried to get it, and saw that it was glowing. Then he saw Jack's hand on the Shen Gong Wu.

"Jack Spicer, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!" Raimundo called out.

"Name your challenge then."

"Last one to slip into the icy waters wins. I wager the Halberd of Aki against your Third Arm Sash. Gong Yi Ten Pai!" Raimundo shouted with Jack. Their surroundings had already begun to change. The ice cracked into many pieces, and they were far apart. The waters began to rise… each of them were on a block of ice and they saw a whirlpool in the middle of all the ice, sucking the blocks in.

_This is a good chance to really test out the Halberd of Aki, _Raimundo thought.

The blocks of ice they were on were beginning to move towards the gigantic whirlpool. Raimundo used the Halberd to control the wind as it moved him onto different blocks. Jack was grabbing ice chunks with the Third Arm Sash and moving towards them.

"Whoa!" Raimundo said as he suddenly began slipping off. This was part of the Showdown, most likely. Raimundo still wasn't very confident as he should have been, but he knew that Kimiko was watching him and cheering for him, so he thought of her and suddenly grew stronger and unafraid.

Suddenly Jack grabbed him from behind with the Third Arm Sash, and Raimundo knew he was falling off the ice. He quickly shouted "Wind!" as he was carried away by the wind and landed on large block of ice not far from Jack.

"So that's how you're going to do this, huh Jack Spicer? Well, two can play at that game," Raimundo said. He threw the Halberd towards the ice chunk Jack was on.

"That's your best shot, Raimundo? Pathetic. That was even more pathetic than some of my throws and I'm really pathetic. Wait… that didn't come out right."

"Who said I was aiming for you, Jack? I was aiming for the ice around you."

Suddenly Jack looked around and screamed at the top of his lungs. The ice beneath him had cracked, and tornados were arising to make sure he didn't escape! He sank into the water, and the Showdown was finally over. Raimundo held all four Shen Gong Wu and smiled as he emerged from the Showdown.

"Yeah Rai!" Kimiko yelled.

"No problemo." Raimundo smiled, setting the Shen Gong Wu onto Dojo's lap.

"Hsssttt," Katnappe hissed angrily. "I didn't even get a chance to fight!" She walked away, pouting.

Dojo lowered himself so the Xiaolin Warriors could get on, and then sailed away into the sky. They reached the Xiaolin temple in the afternoon, and spent a few hours practicing their element.

As twilight approached, all four of them took a shower and went into their beds. Just before the light was turned off, Raimundo asked Kimiko to talk in private. Kimiko nodded in acknowledgement and agreement, although nervously.

"What is it, Rai?" Kimiko asked.

"Um…Kim?" Raimundo shuffled around, embarrassed.

"Yeah? What? Just tell me."

"Okay… here goes…" Raimundo took a deep breath. "Will you go out with me tomorrow in the restaurant in town?"

Kimiko stood there in complete shock for a minute, then looked Raimundo in the eye. "Yeah. I've been waiting really long for this chance," she said breathlessly.

"Then…see you tomorrow." Raimundo winked, then walked into the room where Omi and Clay were sleeping. "Good night."

Then he turned and kissed her on the cheek.

--

Finally! Yay! Please review, I need some more reviewing, you know?


	4. The Date

Wow… I'm on my 4th chapter. :)

I think that when I'm done with this story I'll probably be on the 20th chapter or something like that. Maybe even more, but I plan to do at least 20 chapters. Sorry if you don't like long stories…

Anyways, in this one Rai's gonna finally go out with Kim! There's no Shen Gong Wu involved. Mostly romance… hope you like. It's long enough to satisfy my taste. Also, I should do some POVs but I didn't feel like it. Lazy me.

--

Kimiko woke up, prepared for the date. She was still so excited about it, even though it had been yesterday night that Raimundo had asked her. She felt like she was being pulled down heavily but also felt lighter than air.

_I never knew I loved Raimundo even though I knew him for so long… but I do now. What makes you attracted to one person and not another? I think that for the first time in my life I know what true love feels like. I've liked several people before the Xiaolin training, but I've never gone on a date with any of them and I didn't really care too much…But now something inside me wants to never leave Raimundo again. I still remember how that night I decided just to keep this to myself, and now I want to tell everyone because Raimundo loves me too. I wonder what Clay and Omi will think, though…_

These kind of thoughts were racing through her head without her even thinking about them. It was all created by her pent-up emotion and feelings for Raimundo…

She knew that if it was a date, she had to wear something nice. She went over to her clothing shelf and looked through her many clothes and other girl things. She thought that all of her clothes were fine, but not really the type to wear for a date. Finally, after she had almost completely given up hope, she found the perfect match: A red and yellow, frilly skirt that matched her element perfectly. It looked like little waves of fire dangling from her. And she also had a new white top that her father had sent her as a present. She smiled and changed into her skirt and top, then decided that it looked a little plain. She let her hair down and stringed the strands into decorative, translucent blue beads. Then she applied some violet highlights to her hair. Kimiko found a box of jewelry hidden under the clothes and put on a necklace with a real ruby dangling from its string. She also found a couple of bracelets and small hoop earrings. When she looked into the mirror again, she thought she looked better than she ever had. The hour she had spent doing all this would be worth it after all.

_Yes!_ Kimiko thought happily._ I just hope Rai will like how I look._

Then she walked out of the temple, heading towards the nearby town.

--

Raimundo looked at his watch. The date was scheduled at 12:00 and now it was only 10:30. He found a white, hooded sweatshirt and his best blue jeans hanging on his wall. He had washed them yesterday night so they would be great for his date this noon… He went over to the bathroom to brush his messy brown hair, and then took a shower. He put on his sweatshirt and jeans and walked into the mall area to find something nice to buy Kimiko.

_I should get her some flowers or something…_he thought. He went into the floral section of the mall, and saw a bunch of flower displays. He saw some vivid red roses and thought they would be a great present for Kimiko, so he bought it and continued wandering the shops. He wondered where the clothing shops were. He was planning to buy Kim a necklace or maybe something like that. Then he looked down at the watch he had brought just in case he ran out of time, and saw that it read 11:40. He had to hurry, and he walked around, hoping to find a good shop to buy something for Kimiko. Finally, he found a place and bought a bracelet with the letters 'Raimundo loves Kimiko' on it. By the time he was done, it was 11:48. He rushed out and reached the mall at exactly 12:00, hoping that Kimiko would be there to meet him…

--

Raimundo rushed into the front door as Kimiko ran in from the side door. They looked around, searching intensely for the person they were waiting for. Then, Kimiko suddenly saw him. He looked great! She practically fell to the ground looking at him. She waved and ran towards him, shouting, "Raimundo! Over here!"

Raimundo heard the familiar shouting and turned to see the most beautiful girl he had ever met. Her black hair and blue eyes were amazing, and her clothes made her look even prettier. He walked, a little awkwardly at seeing her looking like that.

"I'm just so glad you could make it, Rai," Kimiko said happily, her smile glowing and lighting up her face.

"No problem, Kim," Raimundo was red as he said abruptly, "I got you some flowers. I hope you like them."

"Rai, those are so pretty! Thanks!" Kimiko's eyes flooded with tears. How sweet of him to buy her flowers… She felt like kissing him. Then she thought, why not? She smiled happily and reached out to Rai's face. He was surprised, but knew what she was up to. She kissed him softly on the cheek.

"So what are we going to eat?" Kimiko asked.

"I don't know… wanna sit at that table and take a look at the menu?" Raimundo held her hand and led her to a small but spacey two-person table. Kimiko sat down and gave one menu to Rai and kept one for herself to look at.

"I brought $20, so I'm pretty sure that's enough…" Raimundo said shyly.

"This place really isn't that expensive. And I brought $15 in case you didn't bring any."

Kimiko looked at the list, then told Raimundo that it would be easier if they didn't discuss it, just tell the waiter what they wanted themselves. That way it wouldn't take as long. She wondered how long this date was going to be. It was already 12:24.

"You ready to order, Rai?"

"Yup. I'm guessing that you are, too."

"Yeah, I am. The waiter's coming around, too."

They waited for the waiter to ask them what food they wanted. When he came, Kimiko ordered chicken and a sandwich. Raimundo wanted a hamburger and French Fries.

They both wanted Coke as their drink.

After 6 or so minutes, the waiter came back and delivered their food. It smelled delicious and Raimundo dug in as soon as the food came. "This is great stuff, Kim!"

"Cool, I'll have to try some," Kimiko said, glad that the date was going well.

Kimiko ate some of the chicken and fries and had to agree that it was great food. They ate quietly for a while.

"Hey Kimiko, I got you another present too. I found this bracelet where you could arrange the letters however you want it. Here you go," Raimundo said. He was nervous because maybe she wouldn't want it.

" 'Raimundo loves Kimiko'," she read. "Raimundo, that is the sweetest thing ever! I love this bracelet it looks great! I'll always wear it from now on." Kimiko put the bracelet on carefully. "I feel kind of bad I didn't get to buy you a present, I was pretty rushed on getting here because I spent a lot of time on my clothes."

"That's fine, Kim. The fact that you're here and love me is my present." He pulled her close, then finally kissed her right on the lips. They shared that moment, and it seemed so long… when they broke off, Kimiko felt like she didn't want to let go. But she was also incredibly happy.

The waiter brought them both a fortune cookie, and they opened them.

"Mine says, 'Where there is love, there is always a great courage'," Raimundo said, quoting the cookie's red words.

"Yeah… mine says, 'There will always be someone there for you to confide in,'" Kimiko said. "And I guess that it's right. I'll always have you."

When they left two hours after they came, they both felt the content and happiness that had been locked inside of them for so long.

--

Wow… so much fluff and romance. I thought I did really good this time, but that's just my opinion... Please review! Thanks for reviewing to everyone who did review. The next chapter is going to be about Chase's plan.


	5. Chase's Plan

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Xiaolin Showdown. I do occasionally make characters up, but I just own them.

Chapter 5, Chase's Plan, is up! Sorry it took so long… most of the time the rest of my family uses the computer so I don't really get a chance to write. Thanks for reviewing, everyone who did review.

Also, this isn't ChasexWuya romance either. Don't mistake it for that when it comes to the confrontation between them. I mean, yes, Wuya does like Chase, but Chase really shows no emotion to Wuya based on what I've seen. Sorry to ChasexWuya shippers.

--

Katnappe walked back to Chase's lair, where she had been accepted as an apprentice for him. She smiled smugly. She had accomplished this mission well, and Chase would keep his promise and give her luxury because of it.

It had been so easy for her to spy on Kimiko and Raimundo because they were so caught up with each other. To her, it was disgusting but worthwhile. And she could taunt them now for being in love.

Katnappe had dressed up as a waitress and asked the restaurant if she could work for them, and then simply looked from the counter at Kimiko and Raimundo. After they left, she had thrown off her ridiculous-looking waitress clothes and shouted loudly, "I quit!"

She headed through the many chambers until finally she got inside of Chase's cave.

"Cha-a-a-se?" she called out.

"Katnappe. Have you completed the mission I have asked you to do?" Chase stepped out from his throne, which was engulfed by dark shadows. His yellow-brown slit eyes had a hint of amusement.

"Yeah. Did you get me my reward?"

"Indeed. But first, tell me what happened there at that 'date'."

"Well… first Kimiko came in through the door with Raimundo and they sat down at a table together. You could kind of tell they weren't just good friends sitting together and crap. So… they talked and ate and Raimundo gave Kimiko a bunch of horrid flowers. They were red and the kind of flower only a guy would buy for a girl, but whatever. So Kimiko said in a totally annoying voice that he was so sweet, and all that mushy stuff. Raimundo was blushing really, really badly and gave her a bracelet that says 'Raimundo loves Kimiko' on it and Kimiko got all flushed. So then the fortunes were delivered and I made sure they had all that lovey-dovey stuff. And that was it." Katnappe yawned a little. This whole Raimundo and Kimiko business made her bored and tired.

"Well done, Katnappe. Step in to this room and you shall see your prize." Chase's golden eyes glinted as he showed Katnappe to her dream place…

"Meoowwrrrr," Katnappe shrieked in delight.

--

Chase walked back to his throne room, already with a plan. Raimundo and Kimiko were already in love with each other enough to risk their own lives to save the other. Since he thought Kimiko would be more easily fooled, as she was a girl and quite weak by his standards, he would use her for the first part of the plan. That part depended on Jack- which made him uncertain if it would be successful. Jack managed to ruin even the things that were perfectly fine.

He would lure Kimiko into a trap…but where would it be held? Chase pondered with a menacing look on his face.

_Well… it must be somewhere that Raimundo can get access to, for starters, otherwise this plan will not work. Also, I must make sure that wherever it is, Dojo and the Xiaolin Warriors cannot get there. Hmm… a portal! Yes. A portal that only Raimundo and Kimiko can enter. And once both of them are indisposed, there will only be two Xiaolin Warriors left. They cannot destroy the great evil that is waiting for them, and I will conquer this world!_

Chase was satisfied with this. Now… how to create this portal? He needed some evil magic to use, and he knew exactly one who had such powers. Wuya, the evil Heylin Witch. He could do it himself, but he knew he should think it over more instead of moving on so quickly. He could just use Wuya for now. Her powers were somewhat restored, anyways.

"Wuya!" Chase called to the silence. He knew that Wuya could not escape from his cave.

"What, Chase?" Wuya glowered. Chase was just so unbelievable and so cunning…Wuya was starting to think that maybe sometime she could share his throne when he dominated the world…

"I have important business for you. I need you to use your powers to create a portal for me- a portal that only Raimundo and Kimiko can enter. The rest of them must not penetrate this portal."

"And where shall this portal lead?"

"It will lead to the underworld, where my powers are greatest."

"Brilliant, as usual, Chase…"

"Now go and work on this, Wuya," Chase commanded.

"Of course," Wuya replied gleefully. She loved Chase's sense of control, his aura of evil.

After Wuya had left, Chase had thought about her. What did he think of her, anyways? Well… she was quite petty and sometimes even annoying. Although he could use her powers. Wuya was an evil witch, after all, and at least could live up to her skills in evil combat. If he had restored her full powers… would she be a worthy opponent? He occasionally had to practice his martial arts skills, and maybe Wuya was worthy of battle with him. He wondered why he was dwelling on this, and then began planning the demise of the Xiaolin monks.

Chase had given Jack a day to come up with a plan to get Kimiko out of the temple and into his dark portal. He called Jack up to his throne room.

"Jack Spicer?" Chase waited for the usual bumble.

"Ahh! Chase! My humble eyes cannot look upon your glory. Evil genius Chase Young and Jack Spicer, Prince of Darkness! That sounds great, doesn't it? Anyways…umm… why did you call me here again?" Jack came out of his large chamber.

"The plan, Jack! If you forgot about it…" Chase gave a menacing frown.

"Oh, the plan! No, no, I could never forget that…"Jack smiled as if the idea were ridiculous. "Anyways, I've already sent the letter to Kimiko. It'll work. You'll see."

--

Kimiko walked outside into the bright sunlight. She still didn't believe that finally she had a date with Raimundo. They were friends for so long…and now that friendship was gone. Well, not gone. Replaced was a better word. But she was happy about it. She liked changes where she didn't lose.

She suddenly turned. She heard something… then she saw that someone had left a note at the doorstep of the temple. Out of curiosity, she picked it up and saw read it.

"To miss Kimiko Tohomiko:

You have just won the one-million dollar award, compliments of Xiaolin Corporation, because of your enhanced battle skills using your element, fire. To redeem your award, please meet us in the large company in the woods tomorrow at noon. Thank you. However, if you are not Kimiko Tohomiko, please disregard this letter. It would be in your best interest not to inform anyone else of this news, because unfortunately there are many people who will steal this prize. If you are not here tomorrow at the appointed time, someone else will get the reward. Thank you. Enjoy your day."

Kimiko read this doubtfully. Had someone been watching her every move in fighting evil? How did other people know that she had the element of fire? Maybe Omi or Clay or even Raimundo had set her up for this. But whatever danger it could be, she knew she was strong enough to fight it. And she wanted that million dollars, too. She wasn't greedy or anything like that, but it would be nice to have so much money.

--

SPOILERS: Uh-oh Kim! In the next chapter she will meet up with Wuya inside the 'company', which is actually an illusion created by Wuya. Raimundo gets a note telling him that he has to save Kimiko.


	6. Kimiko's Trap

W00t! Chapter six up!

Thanks to all of you for reviewing. Especially awsum-loser and Kosmic, who have really been reviewing all my chapters 33. I'm sorry I'm sooo slow in updates. I wish I could have more time on the computer though. I have two rabid, neopets-obsessed brothers that don't let me go near the computer. Grrr.

Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter. It's pretty long though, just as a warning.

--

Kimiko set out at noon to get to the 'Xiaolin Corporation'. She had a lot of doubts about this. After all, if there really was a company who was interested in Xiaolin Warriors, then why did she never hear of it from Master Fung? She tried to reassure herself by thinking that maybe Master Fung would tell them when the time was right. Who knew?

She had never really noticed or cared, but the forest was filled with many eerie things. The trees were huge and tall, and set sinister-looking shadows. There were an assortment of horrible-looking plants and fungi. Insects were crawling all over the pathway she had decided to take into this place. The note contained a map of the forest that had a picture of many safe routes to the corporation, so she just randomly picked one of them.

She walked for about a half hour longer when she suddenly saw the hint of a building. It was white and very professional looking. Right on the other side of the building, past the wood and trees, was… a road? Maybe this place was really part of a small town or something like that.

She had a bad feeling about something…

Suddenly, while stepping out of the trees, there was a crackling sound. She looked underneath her and saw thorny vines curling at her like they were moved by some other force. It reminded her of a snake…

"No!" The vine suddenly reached at her, pricking her with thorns. "Judo Lee Flip- Fire!" She yelled, performing her special move for her element. The flames quickly burned the vines, and they retreated.

"Wh-what was that?" Kimiko cried, gasping for breath. The encounter had take her completely by surprise.

"It was a test." Kimiko turned at the sudden sound. A person? Why? Who?

"Who are you? Where are you?" She racked her brain hard to see if she recognized the voice. It was familiar in a way… yet not familiar. It was definitely feminine, but she really didn't think she heard anyone who sounded like this. But the tone of voice…

Suddenly, a figure stepped at her. "Hello, Kimiko."

The figure's full form emerged from the dark shadows created by the trees. It was a woman with red hair tied in a ponytail and dark green eyes. She appeared to be maybe 10 years older than Kimiko herself. The woman was wearing a purple dress. She looked pretty innocent, Kimiko decided. Kimiko didn't think this woman would really be much of a challenge in battle anyways. She looked pale and kind of frail.

"Oh… are you from the Xiaolin Corporation?" Kimiko asked timidly. Usually she was bold in talking, but this strange person made her back down.

"Yes. Follow me…" the woman gave a small smile. She seemed friendly enough.

"All right, I guess." Kimiko wasn't suspicious anymore, although there was a strange feeling in her stomach. She couldn't really place it, but this woman was familiar to her in some way.

She followed the woman into the steps of the door to Xiaolin Corporation. There really was a corporation! She was reminded strongly of her father's company, Tohomiko Electronics. She admired the airy smell of the place.

There were many workers building many different objects. Kimiko read one of the labels while walking. "Shroud of Shadows Improving Device," she said aloud. They were working to adjust the Shen Gong Wu, it seemed. That was really cool to her. It could help in a Xiaolin Showdown.

"Please step up to this room," the woman pointed at a large wooden door near one of the machines. The woman took a key out of her pocket and unlocked the door. She pushed it open and held it there for Kimiko to get in.

"Whoa." Kimiko was amazed. Inside this room was… money. So much of it. In stacks and rows and columns. _There must be about a billion dollars in this room,_ Kimiko thought.

"As you can see, we have a lot of money in this business. As promised, you will receive the million dollars. Here." The woman tossed her a white package. Kimiko felt it, and it was true- there was money inside, after all!

"So… am I going now or something? Are you going to take a picture of me or something like that?" Kimiko wasn't really sure what they would do after this.

"Oh, before you go, I need to prove one more time that you are the real Kimiko. Many times, thieves will try to get ahold of the money and we need to be absolutely sure you're Kimiko… and not, say, a robot of Kimiko."

This made sense to Kimiko, but it still annoyed her. She didn't want to take any stupid tests, anyways. "Fine. But this better be quick."

"Agreed," the woman said, poking her long fingernails and smiling with a cruel look.

"What is this test anyways?" Kimiko didn't want to do anything without knowing how to do it.

"It's quite simple. Just step inside the portal." The woman waved her hands and a portal magically appeared.

"Wow… how did you do that?" Kimiko gaped. When she became the Dragon of Fire, she wondered, could she do that too?

"Simple magic," the woman said, laughing. "Now, go on."

Kimiko paused as she was about to step into the portal. What if she couldn't get back? What if this didn't work? But she didn't want to appear intimidated, so she finally stepped inside the portal, hoping that nothing would go wrong…

--

"You're telling me WHAT?" Raimundo yelled hysterically.

"Pardner, Kimiko's dun' gone," Clay said.

"We have looked every around the temple area and Kimiko is not here," Omi said.

"Young monks, what is this trouble?" Master Fung appeared at the doorway.

"M-Master Fung… Kimiko's gone!" Raimundo yelled loudly, crying. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs and throw a fit, but that wouldn't make Kimiko back again. "Have you seen her?"

"No… I was studying in the training room." Master Fung, too, looked worried. "Check to see if she left a note or something in her room."

The three monks walked to their stalls, looking around for Kimiko or any sign of her.

"D'ya think maybe she's hidin' from us?" Clay asked.

"Kimiko wouldn't do that!" Raimundo shouted again. He was desperate. What if they couldn't find Kimiko ever again? What if she was hurt? He started sobbing into his pillow uncontrollably. The others were still searching.

Suddenly, Raimundo felt something on his hand… a paper! Did he really leave papers under his pillow? He took out the slip and read it.

"Raimundo, HAHAHAHAHA! Kimiko has been taken prisoner and she's dead if you don't come! So come and die or don't come and let her die! Anyways, if you really want to save her, meet us in the forest anytime. Just use the Golden Tiger Claws and shout 'Wherever Kimiko is' or something stupid like that. What do you expect from a XIAOLIN LOSER? Hahahah! See you there-unless you're a coward! Oh, and by the way, if you tell Baldie or Cowboy over there, Kimiko gets it. And we know…"

Raimundo clenched his fists angrily. "Jack Spicer… I hate you!"

He had to save Kimiko, no matter what. He remembered, suddenly, another sheet of paper that he had read. He remembered the words inscripted on it: 'Where there is love, there is always a great courage'. Right now, he needed that great courage more than anything else._ I will save Kimiko.  
_

--

SPOILERS: Next chapter Kimiko will be trapped and turn evil and corrupt, while trying to resist Chase's powers.


	7. Broken

Chapter 7. HOORAY! dances in the air because she finally, finally, finished it

This took me a long time. Usually chapters take me from half an hour to one hour, but this one took me one and a half. Grrr…

Thanks for the reviews everyone huggles. Sorry guys, I'm in a hyped mood right now and it sucks.

Chapter 7- Broken

--

Kimiko closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She felt a strange, swirling sensation through her body. What was happening? She felt a wind and she was dizzy. She was being pulled…further and further… drowsiness overcame her.

The next thing she knew was that she was suddenly awake. Where was she? She was in a light purple dimension full of strange swirly objects. Her head hurt, and she moaned. How did she get here?

Suddenly, she remembered it. The woman with the red hair had told her to go in here for a final test. If this was it, forget it. She had to get out of this horrible place! She had the strangest feeling that she was fading away. Everything was blurring and coming back into focus in this strange realm. And she was stranded here. Maybe she was lost for all of eternity.

Kimiko pounded her fists in frustration. She was floating in space, somehow. And all she wanted now was to get back.

Kimiko gasped. She just realized it! That woman with the red hair, who had seemed so familiar…it was Wuya! But she probably forgot because Wuya did alter her form quite a bit, although she still did look somewhat like Wuya. How could she have forgotten how Wuya looked when Raimundo returned her to human form? _Raimundo…_ Kimiko suddenly had a headache. She knew it had been a long time ago since Raimundo had turned to the Heylin side, but she still felt a little sad for her friend. Poor Rai… she suspected he probably was still guilty about that time.

She suddenly felt faint again. What was wrong with her? Did it have something to do with this place? She couldn't move her arms or legs anymore and she felt weak and helpless. _WHAT is going on? _Kimiko looked around her.

In a flash of mysterious light, a shadow appeared. It was huge and covered everything in sight with a thick, smoky gray. The blue looked even more drab as it began turning into a dark shade of grayish black.

"Hahaha," came the voice of… Chase Young!

"Ch-Chase?" Kimiko called out weakly. "G-g-get ready t-to be defeated!" She was attempting to shout it, but she didn't have enough energy and she couldn't even hear what she was saying. Chase had done something to her body to make it like this… but what?

"You are in no position to fight me, Kimiko. I have drained all of your life energy and you are but a helpless child waiting for doom." Chase laughed cruelly. His yellowish eyes seemed to glow as he floated above her. "Now I can finally finish my plan. I could, of course, simply kill you. Don't think I've gotten any weaker from our last encounter. But I have a better idea. I knew that you and Raimundo were indeed in love with each other, and it was a perfect time to strike your little playgroup. After all, the plan with Omi did fail quite miserably because you fiddled in with it."

"Omi would have never, ever joined an evil person like you, Chase!" Kimiko shouted angrily. At this moment, she hated Chase very much. What did he want to do to her and her friends? Whatever his plan was, she would do her best to annihilate it.

"Actually, he did for a short period of time before you interfered."

"So? It was against his will!" Kimiko shouted back. She was in a rage right now, even though her hands were shaking and her knees were buckling in weakness.

Kimiko summoned her strength together on an attempt for her Judo Lee Flip. She knew she only had one chance, and her energy would definitely run out soon. She gathered all her emotions- anger, sadness, hurt, and love… and flipped up into the air. "JUDO LEE FLIP-FIRE!"

The force she created was stronger than any she had ever. It was almost like her move had suddenly changed and improved. She fell back on her knees, too exhausted to even move. She had used too much of her strength and she couldn't do any more. She felt too weak to even open her eyes…

Chase saw the beam coming right before it hit. "Fool!" He yelled. With his armor he stopped it, but the force of it pushed him back and he stepped aside to keep his balance.

"Now, for the extent of my plan," Chase said, still a little shocked from Kimiko's attack. "As I said, I could just kill you. But that doesn't satisfy me. I need something more evil than just that. And so it will be. Instead of simply murdering you now, I am going to make you become one of us. And then I will watch in pleasure as you kill Raimundo. I've already sent him the note telling of how you're in danger, and he's already on his way. There's nothing you can do to stop me. Now, Kimiko! Let the dark side of you takes over your body!" Chase pointed a metal-covered finger at her, smiling smugly. A black shape came, in the form of Kimiko and entered her body.

"I-in your dreams, Chase!" Kimiko couldn't resist it for much longer. She tried to think of all the things that made her happy and gave her strength… the Xiaolin Temple, her friends, defeating Jack Spicer, the Shen Gong Wu, her element, Master Fung, Raimundo… Raimundo would come to save her. But she would destroy him if she let this spirit take over her mind! Tears came out of her eyes. She had to keep fighting for Raimundo- for her one and only true love. She sunk down to the floor but in her mind was still resisting…

Suddenly a new figure appeared into the portal. It was a boy… brown hair, green eyes. Raimundo! "Rai?" Kimiko said weakly, lifting her head up.

"Kimiko! Hold on! I've got you!" Raimundo's face shone bright in the darkness surrounding her.

Suddenly, a coldness filled Kimiko. "NO! NO!" She cried, but it would not stop. She was beginning…to turn evil. "Raimundo!" She gave one last, desperate cry. Then it was as if a blanket closed over her mind. The true Kimiko drifted away as the evil one took over.

Chase young smiled at Raimundo, who had come seconds too late. "Your friend is now mine," he said. There was no point in trying to revive Kimiko now. She would be an evil creature for all of eternity.

"What do you mean, Chase? Kimiko would never help you!" Raimundo yelled, tears filling his eyes. He knew, from the way Kimiko had fallen, from the way her eyes closed that he was too late to save her. What would Chase do?

"It's simple. She is now…evil," Chase said in a very definite tone. Like there really was no hope for Kimiko at all. The way Chase said this made Raimundo feel cold and small. He really had failed Kimiko, the only one he ever truly loved.

"No…no…," Raimundo sobbed. He dropped to the ground. A tear slipped his eye as he realized that this was probably the first time he had ever cried in his life. Kimiko was gone.

"Oh, Raimundo. Did you think I was going to allow you to simply wallow there in sadness? Of course not. Raimundo, it is time for you to meet…Kimiko. The new Heylin Kimiko, that is…" Chase pointed to where Kimiko was.

Kimiko had suddenly risen from her spot on which she had collapsed on, and now she seemed different, although she looked mostly the same. Her eyes, which had been a beautiful and deep blue, were now an angry red. Her expression, which usually wore warmth and depth in personality, had become cruel and mocking. Her smile she gave Raimundo was cold.

"K-Kim?" Raimundo said. "It's me, Rai! Please… come back to the Xiaolin Temple with me!"

"You will not get through to her," Chase said, simply and plainly. The Kimiko whom you love is now gone, trapped in the deepest depths of her soul."

"Then I'm going to get through to the deepest part of her then," Raimundo said with a renewed hope. "Just watch me."

--

Next time there will be a new Shen Gong Wu. Yes, Omi and Clay have a part in this too. Don't worry, there will be more with Chase, Rai, and Kim too.


	8. The Two Wu

First of all, I would like to thank you all for over 1,000 hits! Also, thank you for every who reviewed my story as well.

I'm on Chapter 8 now. Woo-hoo. I'm pretty far on this story… I've been updating more since chapter 5. I really wish I wasn't neglecting my other story though, because I haven't updated in a very long time and some people do like it.

Anyways, have fun with chapter 8, The Two Wu.

--

"Clay! Where is Raimundo?" Omi asked, shouting in Clay's ears. Clay was still asleep, and Omi had trouble sleeping the night before so he walked for a while before noticing that Raimundo was gone.

"Wha?" Clay said sleepily. "Is there a problem?"

"RAIMUNDO IS MISSING!" Omi shouted loudly. Why could Clay not hear him?

"What? What coulda happened to him?" Clay sat up, more alert.

"I do not know, but we must find him! What if a new Shen Gong Wu has just--"

"Revealed itself! A Shen Gong Wu has just revealed itself, kid! Hey, where's the Brazilian?" Dojo looked around.

"I'm afraid we dun' kno, pardner," Clay said, his head hanging down.

"We're going on a Shen Gong Wu mission with only two Xiaolin Warriors?" Dojo asked. " I sure hope Raimundo and Kimiko turn up soon, or else Jack Spicer may have a chance of defeating us after all!"

The two Xiaolin Warriors got on Dojo, desperately missing their two friends who had now disappeared without any trace.

"Clay, do you think that maybe someone plotted this? Perhaps Kimiko was in danger and the one who got her also arranged for Raimundo to save her? We all know that Raimundo and Kimiko are very close."

"I dun' kno, but le's just hope they're okay," Clay said. "I'm just as confused as you are."

They rode in silence for a while, thinking and wondering and also worrying. Then Clay broke the silence to ask, "Hey Dojo, you fergot ta tell us what the Shen Gong Wu was."

"The Claw of Iaki. It allows the user to cut through all things- even thoughts or air and lets you access or even become what you have sliced apart. It distorts reality, and it's also very strong. There is virtually nothing it cannot destroy. It belonged to the third of the four great warriors, Iaki."

Suddenly, Dojo's entire body shook and zagged in a strange shape.

"What is it, Dojo?" Omi asked.

"Um, guys, another Shen Gong Wu in the same direction. It just revealed itself! The Globe of Eienko. It is a Wu that can only be used when the time is right. Kinda reminds you of Dashi's puzzlebox that time with Wuya, huh? Anyways, its power gives you strength even when you are close to death by feeding on your emotions. It can also tell you what you need to know, but only when you truly need it. It contains the spirit of Eienko, the wisest of the four warriors. The person who uses it must have good intentions, or else it will destroy you."

"Well then, I must be able to use it. I have great intentions and courage," Omi said.

"Not necessarily, kiddo," Dojo said. "Besides, we gotta find it first. Wait… it's here!"

They saw a canyon up ahead. Dojo flew lower and lower, until they finally reached the bottom of the canyon.

"Whoa, this is pretty…deep," Clay said, a little nervously. What if something dropped on them or the canyon collapsed? He worked his way around the building nervousness and concentrated on finding the Wu…

"Where could it be?" Omi asked, frustrated.

"I dunno," Dojo said. "I know it's around here somewhere…"

Suddenly they heard something flying around. It was a buzzing sound…

"Jack Spicer!" Omi shouted. He pointed his finger up at where Jack was. "We will defeat you and take the Shen Gong Wu!"

"With only two monks? Hahahaha!" Jack laughed his 'evil' laugh once more. "No way. You can't beat me. Don't you think Chase's plan was brilliant? Getting Kimiko fooled and then moving Raimundo in to help her while he's actually just running towards his destruction! Hahaha! You guys are pathetic! Now there are only two Xiaolin Losers."

"Wha? Jack Spicer, whaddya do with our friends?" Clay shouted.

"Do you think I'm going to tell two losers? You wouldn't understand anyways, the plan is too brilliant and you guys are too stupid. Only us evil geniuses get how it works." Jack smiled. "Get ready… JackBots, attack!"

"There are too many JackBots and Raimundo and Kimiko are gone!" Omi shouted as the JackBots came in.

"We still gotta try," Clay said without much enthusiasm.

The JackBots rammed in. The two warriors were much stronger, but also disadvantaged in numbers.

"Tornado Strike- _Water!_" Omi cried, using his element to hurtle it at the Jackbots. He kicked one JackBot into the others and they all toppled onto each other. "Clay, although we are only two warriors fighting a hundred JackBots, I believe we can use their numbers against them."

"Right on, monk," Clay said. He gave Omi a thumbs-up after smashing a JackBot.

"Orb of Tornami- _Water_!" Omi shouted. The JackBots all fell onto the ground from the impact of the huge wave Omi had created.

"Fist of Tebigong- _Earth_!" Clay called out. He used the Fist to punch a huge hole in the ground, and the JackBots Omi had pushed down had fallen in.

"We did it!" Omi said happily.

Jack looked around nervously. "Uh…" Omi took out the bow and arrows of Celestia and aimed right for Jack. "Get ready for a humiliating defeat, Jack Spicer!"

"Arrow of Celestia-_Ice!_" Omi shouted. A strange glittering powder covered the entire arrow, and it shot forward. The light created from the arrow was dazzling and brilliant, and it caused everyone to close their eyes because of its brightness. It shot Jack and he immediately froze him into an ice cube. The arrow flew back to Omi's hand.

"Whoa, pardner, that is one cool effect," Clay said, wide-eyed.

"Yes, it is, my friend." Omi smiled. "But we must still find what we came here for."

They looked around again. Where could it be?

Suddenly, Clay's eyes lit up. "I have an idea! What if the Wu's righ' here under the earth?" He reached out for the bow and arrow in Omi's hand. "I reckun this'll work."

"Arrow of Celestia- _Earth!_" He shot it into the ground, and with great force it cracked the ground completely.

Inside was the two Wu, together beneath the sand. They looked dirty and small, but they were there. They had finally found what they had been looking for.

"We did it!" Omi said.

"Now le's fly back to the temple," Clay said.

"No. Jack knows where Kimiko and Raimundo are, and we can find that out using the Wu we collected today- the Claw of Iaki."

"Oh, yeah! Perfect idea, lil' guy," Clay said. "We'll see his thoughts, and the ice won't crack because we can specify wha' we want!"

"Claw of Iaki!" Omi yelled. He went inside Jack's mind, and saw that his two friends were in a portal that was protected by a spell that would only let Raimundo and Kimiko in and out. It was no problem; he could slice through that portal easily with his newly acquired Claw of Iaki.

"Now can we go?" Dojo asked impatiently.

"Yes. I now know where they are."

On the trip back, Omi told Clay where their friends were and they devised a plan together.

--

"I guess I'll just let you sit here and try to get through to her- without any success, undoubtedly, for a while. Leave her sitting there and then cause your demise. Isn't that a good plan, Raimundo?" Chase smiled. He was enjoying this very, very much.

"Chase, I hate you!" Raimundo yelled angrily. He wanted to attack, but he needed to get Kim out of here and he wasn't leaving without her.

He went back to shaking Kimiko's shoulders and trying to find a way for her to remember him…

"Kim, please. It's me, Rai! Why can't you hear me?" Kimiko's expression was still unfazed. Raimundo was deeply frustrated but couldn't give up. He loved her, and that would come through. He just had to try harder.

Inside Kimiko's mind, the spirit of darkness fluttered, obeying Chase's orders. But also, deep inside, tiny and insignificant, was the true Kimiko who loved Raimundo. She was calling out to him and trying to escape the prison she had been put in. It was not working and she wasn't strong enough. She was crying, but the tears couldn't make their way to her face. She did not have enough power to help someone she loved so deeply and that was what made her sad. Because she knew that the spirit was ready to hurt Raimundo on Chase's command, and she could not let that happen. Both of their lives were at stake. She could hear each one of Raimundo's words, and they hit her heart like a boulder. She needed to help, but couldn't- she had no hope left. They were really finished.

Raimundo knew that inside, Kimiko was there. He would have to get through to her. He knew he could, and prayed that the real Kimiko was fighting. Fighting against the spirit and Chase. He knew she, too, was trying without much hope or strength. And if she kept fighting, so would he.

"Raimundo, I think it is time for the end. I hope you enjoyed life in this world. Because now, you are going. Tragic, isn't it? Killed by your greatest love. Now, Kimiko- destroy Raimundo," Chase said. It was finally going to be over, the Xiaolin nusiance.

Every part of Raimundo broke apart. _No!_

Kimiko was powerless to resist the spirit. She wanted to scream, to just get it over with and be gone. But she kept silence. Sometimes, silence is enough for someone feeling immense pain. It can create a bond more than any sound. Because she felt, somehow, Raimundo's presence lingering around her. He was feeling the way she did, and it gave her a comfort. Because now she felt as if she wasn't alone in the world.

She cried. But she knew that this powerful bond could overcome. She just needed to find out how.

--

Okay, okay. Hate me for ending it here. I promise to update soon, though. Don't have any real spoilers for next time, you guys probably know what'll happen.


	9. Double Battle

Thanks for the reviews! Ugh, I'm updating too fast for people to review. Oh well, I'm like that sometimes. Swift change of mood. Sometimes I obsess over writing fanfiction, and other times I write for a grand total of 10 minutes and say, "Blah", then lie in bed in bored misery. Yup, that's me.

Chapter 9 is UP! Yay!

Chapter 9- Double Battle

--

Raimundo was hugging Kimiko as tight as he possibly could. It was all he could do for now. He thought he saw a hint of sadness in her eyes, but it changed to anger. The clearness murked up again with that mad red glint that had appeared in it before, and suddenly she pushed him aside. "Raimundo. You fool. Did you ever think I would truly love you? A Brazilian rebel who once joined the Heylin side… Idiotic if you ask me. And now I'll destroy you. Love is for the weak."

"No…" Raimundo said, looking into her eyes. He knew that this was not the real Kimiko, but he felt sad and heartbroken against his logic. Why was Chase doing this? Why did he want vengeance in such a cruel way? Raimundo couldn't understand it at all. He just wanted everything to be back to normal.

Kimiko smiled as she looked at him. "Time to say good-bye," She said softly. She closed her eyes and stretched her arms out both directions. Suddenly, the underworld became a burning pit of great lava and Raimundo had to jump to avoid being hit by the lava Kimiko had created.

"Kim! Don't do this! Please…" Raimundo used his wind power to help him float so he would not touch the lava, which had now completely covered the ground. He had to stay in air, or else he would definitely be burnt.

"Too late!" Kimiko said. Her voice sounded like she truly did despise Raimundo, and it made Raimundo feel weak again. "Azure Flame- Fire!"

"Azure flame…?" Raimundo said, confused. Since when had she had that ability? He suddenly saw the blue fire coming towards him. It was huge! He dodged it barely, and just the heat ripped part of his shirt. He was falling into the lava! He took the one Shen Gong Wu he had brought with him, the Sword of the Storm, and used it to cause enough wind to float back up. He suddenly had an inspiration. Cooled lava turned into rock, which meant that he had to create a cold atmosphere. Then he would have easy access to the ground.

"Nice one. But this one's even better!" Raimundo yelled recklessly. "Sword of the Storm- Frost Breeze!" He had the ability to create a cold wind.

The lava slowly began cooling off as he flew his way around. "No!" Kimiko cried. "Fire!" She created fire that was coming towards Raimundo- fast.

"Oh, no you don't!" Raimundo took out his Sword of the Storm and made the fire fly in the other direction. He couldn't hit Kimiko and risk hurting her.

"Why didn't you just fire it at me?" Kimiko asked, pleased.

"Because… I won't hurt you! You're my friend, Kimiko!" Raimundo said these words genuinely, from his heart. He would not let Kimiko get hurt because it wasn't her fault that she was being possessed.

"What a pity. You're weak and you won't hurt me just because I am possessing your little friend. And you are going to pay because of that mistake, Raimundo." The Heylin Kimiko said. She knew she was protected, and Raimundo wouldn't dare hurt his little friend Kimiko, who was trapped.

She flickered her hand and fireballs came out of the sky. They sizzled with great strength and lit up the entire area. Raimundo tried to dodge all of them, but there were too many of them. "Ow!" he shouted as a large one burned up part of his sweatshirt and went out. It was so hot and intense. "T-Typhoon Boom- W-Wind!" he yelled with more strength than he thought was possible to muster in his condition. It blew the fires out.

Raimundo looked around him. The rock nearby was full of soot and ash. Smoke was rising out of them and it looked terrible. "You can't fight fire with fire," he said. "But you can fight fire with…WIND!"

A tornado rose out of the ground, heading towards Kimiko. "I swear I will not hurt you, Kim. But I will stop you from attacking!"

"What do you mean?" she cried fiercely. "You cannot stop me! FIRE!" Again, flames darted from her hand and she waved them around, aiming each at Raimundo.

The wind Raimundo had created immediately moved where the fire was, and absorbed all of the fire energy. "I've decided I won't aim it at you, Kim. I'll aim it at Chase!" he pointed towards the mound where Chase stood.

Chase speculated this with amusement. It was quite entertaining to watch this fight, and Raimundo was certain to lose. The pitiful wind would not stop him or even damage him. It was even more so since he had his strong armor on.

"Master- what should I do?" Kimiko cried urgently, realizing what Raimundo was talking about. "Should I still attack?"

"Do not underestimate me, my slave… My armor is far too strong for that incompetent young apprentice in training."

"Hey, dude, that's stupid! You need armor to protect you?" Raimundo said, trying to intimidate Chase into taking it off. Maybe then his strike would actually do some damage to that evil warrior.

"No, I don't. But this is for precautions, Raimundo."

"Yeah, right!" Raimundo yelled. "Flame Tornado- Destroy Chase!" The tornado swung at Chase with all of its absorbed fiery power. Chase merely had an expression of boredom on his face as he flung it back at Raimundo with only one arm.

"Argh!" Raimundo ceased the wind just in time. It had almost hit him… and now he didn't have much fighting energy left. "Darn it…" He clutched his stomach, which now started to twist painfully.

"Now that you're weak, I have you at the exact right spot," said Kimiko with a hungry look in her eyes. "It's time for all this nonsense to end."

"NO!" Raimundo couldn't move… had she put something on him, like a spell? He had to break through to her, or else she really would kill him. "Kimiko! I know you're in there somewhere, just listen to me! Fight whatever's possessing you and hurry! Please help, Kim!"

Inside, Kimiko heard Raimundo's voice. She could see the evil spirit summoning up for an attack, grinning evilly. Suddenly fire appeared in her hand. Kimiko knew she had to act quickly, or Raimundo would be… Tears filled her eyes as she thought of what would happen to Raimundo. Those tears plopped deep into her heart, surrounding the spirit's fire, and suddenly the fire was extinguished. How had she done it? Kimiko herself wasn't sure, but she was glad. Raimundo was safe now. She smiled.

"You did it, Kim!" Rai smiled. He knew exactly what to do now.

--

Omi was on his way across the woods with Clay. They had carried all four weapons of the warriors. Master Fung had told them that when all four weapons were together, they could form something greater than any other power that exists on Earth. But it would only happen when the time was right, and Omi hoped that this would happen for the four of them now.

Suddenly, the woods area became pitch black, overshadowed by a dark force. A woman cackled. She had bright red hair and green eyes, and a smile on her face that represented certain amusement at seeing them.

"Well, well. You fools again, isn't it? Here to intercept Chase's brilliant plan? Well, I'm sorry to say you won't be getting past me!"

"Chase's plan is not brilliant! It is most hurtful to the people involved!" Omi shouted at Wuya, ready for a fight.

"Yeah, Wuya, we'll give ya a chance to release 'em or else we'll kick yer old hag butt!" Clay demanded angrily.

"Those 'old hag', as you call me, will defeat you. You're not as strong as I with my powers returned!" Wuya laughed menacingly. She didn't actually have to defeat them, but she had to at least stall for an hour's time. Chase knew that Jack would most probably fail on his mission to retrieve the two Shen Gong Wu. And because the Xiaolin monks were actually quite intelligent, he knew they could find the Claw of Iaki and the Globe of Eienko and interfere with his plans. It was a part and also not a part of his plan. Either way, it was still convenient for him. He could even destroy four of them at the same time this way.

Wuya closed her eyes, and suddenly the surrounding was suddenly a gooey light green color. She summoned the strange green Heylin energy all together in a huge, glowing ball of green light. Omi and Clay gasped at the powerful force she had created, wondering what it could possibly be. They knew they had to find some way to destroy it, though.

"This is the end," She said softly. She held it in the air and absorbed all the light around them. The whole forest was so dark, it was nearly impossible to see anything but the mysterious light. Then she unleashed it and fired.

--

Ended it here. Sorry guys, this chapter was getting kind of long. Anyways, please R&R.


	10. Elemental Clash

Chapter 10 of From the Heart! I'm halfway to the chapter I want to finish it, which is 20, like I said in chapter 4. This chapter is the longest yet out of all of them for this story. So please enjoy.

Oh, and by the way luveroffanfic, I like to torture you with cliffhangers because I like tormenting people in my own very horrible way.

This fanfiction is definitely my most popular and of all of them and thanks for the reviews, everyone!

Hope you guys like Chapter 10, Elemental Clash.

--

"What is that sneakin' Wuya doin'?" Clay said, worried deeply.

"It's coming for us!" Omi shouted. Then he had an idea that he thought would definitely work. The reversing mirror had never failed them before, and now… "Reversing mirror!"

"It's no use, you little fool," Wuya said, laughing as the green power continued advancing at the two monks.

"No!" Clay shouted. "What do we do?"

"Claw of Iaki!" Omi shouted, knowing this was his last hope… He raised the claw at the exact time the beam came at them and with all of his strength sliced the green ball of energy. The claw severed the beam, but then it became many, many pieces of fiery balls, still coming at them. "WHAT?" Clay shouted desperately. "Got any ideas, Omi?"

"Um…run!" Omi knew they had no choice.

"This was too easy, even without my powers completely restored." Wuya's face was lit with cruel and evil glee. She raised a finger and the glowing balls increased in speed in the pursuit of the two monks.

"Clay, I fear our last choice is to hide. Where is the Shard of Lightning?" Omi inquired. "We must act quickly before she destroys us!"

"Omi, pardner- here!" Clay raised it up at the sky, and Omi grabbed onto it. Together, they shouted, "Shard of Lightning!"

"What?" Wuya said angrily. "How dare they defy me with that little toy!"

"Omi, what should we do now? Even at the speed of lightning, those balls're actually movin'! They must be pretty durn fast for that…" Clay looked hopelessly at Omi for any ideas.

"Do not fear, my friend, we must run. Back to the temple, where we will be safe," Omi said sadly, with his head hung low. "I am afraid Wuya has forced us onto the ceiling this time. It is our last choice."

"Hey, lil' buddy, you mean 'forced us into a corner', righ'?" Clay said. He was still amused by Omi's strange antics.

"Oh, yes! That too!" Omi smiled. Then he took Clay's hand and said, "Run now!"

Clay let go of Omi's hand, but he followed along as they hurried to the temple. The shard of lightning's effect was fast wearing off, and… It suddenly was gone.

"No!" Omi cried anxiously. "What... what will become of us now?"

"I dun' kno, but let's just hope Wuya's green thingies dun' come back at us," Clay said. He was exhausted from trying to escape the strange power Wuya had created.

"Clay, I have an idea," Omi said, smiling. He walked inside the temple to show Clay.

--

Wuya knew that the Xiaolin monks had escaped, but they were not a problem, only a nuisance. And with her around, it would take quite a while for them to get to the portal in which Raimundo and Kimiko were held captive. She hoped that they were already indisposed of by now. Chase's plan was amazingly complex in structure and he was too powerful for it not to be successful.

Her green fire came back to her and she absorbed the energy. Chase had given her this mystical energy from a seed that had fallen from the Tree of Aki. The ridiculous monks did not know, but the substance that came from these seeds gave eternal energy to the one who knew how to unseal it.

She knew the history of Aki. When she was born, she had studied many evil arts in which to increase her dark strength. Her parents said she was 'strange' and 'evil' and banned her from their home. She was taught by Yi, who was the greatest dark sorcerer known to humankind. One night, she came back home- for revenge. The only living witnesses were too stunned to know what had happened, and it satisfied her. She grew more and more powerful, conquered the world, and then…Dashi. She was trapped in a puzzle box by that arrogant and well-meaning warrior. She still loathed his name.

Wuya wondered what she should do next. She could either go after those incompetent young Xiaolin apprentices, or she could simply wait for them to come to her. The problem with that was that they had nearly all of the Shen Gong Wu and they could formulate a plan to possibly defeat her. But, she thought, what would those two be able to do to her, the greatest witch that ever existed on the Heylin side?

She went back to Chase's lair and used her magic to spy on the Xiaolin Warriors.

--

Kimiko was now dead angry. Her eyes glazed over with hatred for him and also hatred for the Kimiko inside. How had the imprisoned Kimiko managed to actually stop that attack before she used it? Was there somehow strength in the link between Raimundo and the true Kimiko?

"How dare you, Raimundo!" Heylin Kimiko's lips curled in a snarl. It looked horrible and Raimundo had never seen Kimiko with such an expression on her face before. It looked almost terrifying. But he wouldn't let himself be scared into giving up just because of a facial expression. Then he would be a true coward. And he had vowed to Kimiko he wouldn't let her get hurt. He was not going to break that promise.

Heylin Kimiko's face suddenly changed from anger to… the expression was indescribable. It was blank, yet seemed to hold some kind of concealed joy within. Raimundo wondered what this meant, and then realized it when he looked around him. "Oh, no," He said. He wanted to cry. Because he finally saw them. People were coming in through a gateway from the Earth. Other people, innocent people, were being sent in to this horrible hellhole. And he saw the one responsible. It was Chase Young.

"Chase! Why are you hurting these people, they're innocent! They aren't warriors and pose no threat to you! Get them out, or else…" Raimundo didn't know what else. Chase was too strong to be stopped by him, and he knew it was hopeless to do anything.

"I've just decided something, Raimundo. I am going to start my reign already- with these people. I've ordered Katnappe to steal the Zing Zombone from your temple, and… well, I think you know what is next," Chase said. Raimundo saw that he had spoken the truth when he saw the Shen Gong Wu in Chase's hand.

"Y-you're not turning them into zombies, are you?" Raimundo stuttered over these words, because he knew that Chase was.

"What do you think?" Chase raised the Zing Zombone and shouted its name. "Zing Zombone!"

The people had expressions of pure horror on their face. This made Raimundo want to cry. So many people were being hurt and manipulated for Chase's evil plans. And he could not do anything about it. The mist swirled around everyone, and the people Chase had brought in were zombies.

"Now, you humans of no value, you shall assist the Heylin Kimiko in defeating Raimundo!" Chase declared.

"Yeah, right!" Raimundo yelled. "Like zombies can defeat me."

"Oh, they aren't going to be doing any fighting," Kimiko said with a mad gleam in her eyes. "They're going to be used to increase my fire strength."

"What do you mean?" Raimundo asked, although he knew all too well what it meant. And he knew he could never let it happen. Tears streamed down his face, and he turned away from the scene of the human zombies and the despicable look that was in every inch of Kimiko's face.

"Let's just say that fire spreads easily when there is more to burn. In a wildfire, if there are many trees, the fire will be larger. And… these bodies are going to be my wildfire trees," Kimiko said triumphantly.

"You…you can't," Raimundo said weakly. He knew perfectly well that she could, but he didn't want to accept reality. It was too horrid and too cruel. He couldn't believe that the one doing this would be Kimiko. Even if it wasn't the real Kimiko's intentions. "What you're doing… it's evil. What you are planning to do is completely immoral. You are a wonderful person, Kimiko. You can't do this." Tears sprang to his eyes again, even as he tried his hardest to hold them back. Was reality this cruel? Why did Chase want him to suffer this way?

"Judo Lee Flip- Fire!" Heylin Kimiko called out, beginning to perform the move.

Suddenly, Raimundo had an inspiration. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of this before? Well, he knew why. It was because his head was too clouded by the emotions he had tried to hold back.

Raimundo stood up slowly and spoke in a loud, clear voice. "Kimiko, I can't let you do this," he said with more courage than he really had.

"I will do this," Kimiko said. The fire came from her arms and began aiming at a freckled man. The man simply sat there, not knowing that he was going to be doomed.

"Typhoon Boom- Wind!" Raimundo cried. The wind hurdled at the flames, and with so much wind energy in the air, the fire could not slice through and onto the person. He had finally done it. He saved them- at least for a small time being.

"You may have stopped it this once, but all I have to do is create more!" Kimiko said, smiling at Raimundo's foolishness.

"Not if I can help it," Raimundo said quietly. "It's the battle between fire and wind now."

"What?" Heylin Kimiko's smile curved down at the edges. "You cannot defeat me!"

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Raimundo said. For the first time in a very long time, he felt that he could defeat her. For the first time in a long time, he felt confident.

"Sphere formation- Fire!" Kimiko called, unleashing yet another new attack never done by the real Kimiko.

"Sword of the Storm- Wind!" Raimundo was ready. It was a powerful fire attack against a Shen Gong Wu's wind power. He only hoped that he had mastered the Sword of the Storm well, because here was the final time it counted.

And so, the two elements clashed.

--

Why do I always, always leave it with a cliffhanger? Why, why, why? You guys must really hate me by now… anyways, find out what happens in the next chapter! Hoped you guys liked this chapter and please review!


	11. Story One Aki

O.o I feel bad for not updating in a while. I'm used to updating every day and I feel a little bad for…well… not updating.

I've decided to start writing about the four legendary warriors, which are created by me. I'm starting with Aki because I just feel like it. I'm probably going in the order of their Shen Gong Wu- Aki, Celestia, Iaki, Eienko. Iaki seems like Aki…I just noticed that. Oh well, it's not as if I planned that or anything.

Enjoy! By the way, I promise that I will not leave it with a cliffhanger. So be happy.

--

The force from both elements hitting each other with equal force sent chips flying from the rocks that Raimundo had created. Gases and smoke covered the entire area in a gray mist, leaving both Raimundo and Kimiko wondering what was happening.

Raimundo felt something pierce his skin. It seemed like rocks, shards of earth, were flying in every direction. He felt the immense heat of fire and the coolness of a great wind come at him, coughing into his elbow. He couldn't see. Had he won? Was Kimiko hurt at all? Everything became blurrier and blurrier… and then…

Chase Young emerged from the area and cleared the smoke with a strange power, leaving them to see what they had created.

They were both on two platforms, carved by wind and fire, standing right above a deep black void encircled with vivid red flames and floating smoke. They had very limited space, maybe about 3 feet of platform to stand on. The rest of the rocks had fallen into the void through the strange clash between two elements.

"It looks like the two elements, flame and air, have caused a void with the energy that came together. It is an arena for… some kind of Showdown. If either of you fall out of the rock and into the void, you will be killed." Chase smiled smugly. It didn't matter who it was, one way or the other they would both be destroyed.

"What?" Raimundo yelled angrily. "You can't do this!"

"I haven't done anything. It was the negative energy that created this strange void," Chase said. His thin lips curled in a cruel smile.

"Argh," Raimundo said, bracing himself.

--

"Master Fung, we have come to ask you something," Omi said. "Clay and I need to know the history of the four legendary warriors."

"The four legendary warriors, hmm? I'm afraid I only know what has been written down in scroll, my young monk. Many of their scrolls were burned when Wuya took her terrible reign 1500 years ago," Master Fung said, sighing.

"Then tell us what ya know, Master Fung," Clay said. "It's our only hope."

Master Fung closed his eyes, remembering a story that he once heard. After a few minutes, he opened them again. "It is time," He said. He began to tell of a brave warrior named Aki, the Dragon of Water.

--

**1,680 years ago- Aki**

Aki had been trained in China. He was a fearless warrior who had black hair and menacing eyes. Nobody dared cross him, and while he was alive there was peace. No evil could harm him, the great master of the Xiaolin martial arts.

He was invincible, as everyone said. But he sought something more than just fighting. He wanted a companion to help him with his journey. He was beginning to tire of his long and wary battles.

He was the first one to become a dragon. To have the great power that nobody else possessed. His power and knowledge was great and he had many years of experience.

One day, he set out to find someone who had strength and knowledge. Someone like him, with years of experience. Perhaps someday he would meet a Dragon of Fire, or Wind, or Earth. He didn't know that day that he was going to meet all three.

But he did. It was actually an accident that he met up with Celestia that first day. To tell you that story requires some backing up, however. Backing up to that first day…

--

Aki was a wanderer. Someone who never truly had a home, someone who traveled many places in the world. Aki had visited many rivers, oceans, valleys and mountains, cities, forests and other places- even space. On that fateful day thousands of years ago, Aki went to a small village. The people he saw there were under attack by a group of bandits.

Aki could never resist helping people; it made him feel good and he loved being able to cause at least a small amount of good in this world of evil.

So he was up to the fight. He had a love of peace; he never killed if he could avoid it however. "Bandits, release your captives of this village."

"Who are you to command us, the might Jiu?" one of the men asked, smiling smugly. Another fool that would be assassinated.

Aki threw off his disguise, which was a simple farmer's hat and cloak. Inside he had armor made of gold and the stony face of a warrior. "Who am I to command you? I am the mighty warrior Aki."

"What?" One of the bandits screamed. "Aki, the mighty Xiaolin Dragon of Water? It is not possible! Why are you in a lowly village?"

"Because this 'lowly village', as you call it, is under attack. And I will defend the weak and helpless no matter what. It is on my warrior's honor," Aki said boldly.

"All right, all right, we leave," the leader of the group said begrudgingly. "It is hopeless to fight the Aki who slay seven dragons with one halberd."

"I thank you, the bandits of Jiu, for leaving the village in peace," Aki said. He bowed his head to show that he honored them.

"Farewell," the leader looked regretful.

The villagers were gleeful. There were shouts of 'Aki! Aki!' and a festival in honor of him. After the festival was over, the villagers went to sleep except for one woman. In the middle of the night, she snuck out to see Aki, who was leaving quietly.

"Won't you please speak to me, Aki?" the woman said. She had intricately beautiful features; blue eyes and black hair that shone blue in the moonlight. "I could have saved the village myself, but I wanted to see what would happen when you arrived, Aki."

"And who are you?" Aki asked, but not in a pushy way.

"My name… is Celestia. The Dragon of the Fire," she replied.

"I have heard much about you."

"I imagined so," Celestia said. "I heard you are seeking allies."

"Yes… do you want to help me on my mission to defeat evil?" Aki smiled. He now had a companion, someone of equal strength.

"Yeah," she said. "I think this is the start of something new."

--

I'm doing five chapters with a little bit of the Raimundo and Kimiko predicament and mostly the Aki part. The second is about Celestia, the third about Iaki, the fourth about Eienko, and the fifth about the evil Iaki and Celestia had to face (which is like the Raimundo/Kimiko situation) and how it all turned out. Then I'm moving back to the main focus again. Sorry if that disappoints you, but there will be some of the Rai/Kim battle too.


	12. Story Two Celestia

I'm updating less and less lately. I guess I just have too many fanfics to do, sorry about that. I'm especially abusing Four Lives (sorry to all you fans) but also this story. Grrrr, sometimes I just hate myself. Anyways, thank you all for reviewing! This is my most popular story yet, with over 2000 hits and 45 reviews. I love you guys. (hugs and throws confetti all over the place)

OK, onto the point. This one is about Celestia (wow, this is like only the second one and I'm already beginning to get bored of the Warrior Chronicles). Plus more of the Showdown scene, as I get too bored just writing about my warriors. I hate my own characters. (sniffs)

I just found out that I was wrong the whole time about Kim's move. It's not Judo Lee Flip, It's Judo Lette Flip. Also, I finally did a P.O.V. (argh, it's annoying to type all the periods out)…

--

"It's time for the showdown," Chase declared firmly. "Raimundo and Kimiko, station yourselves…."

"Don't order me around, Chase! After this I'll kick your butt!" Raimundo yelled with a brave look on his tired face that was shining with sweat. He was determined to let Chase think that he had it planned out. He didn't want to give that horrible evil warrior another reason to be smug and happy.

"Shut your mouth!" Kimiko yelled suddenly. She sped in the air towards Raimundo, her fist a bright red fireball. She had somehow caused her hands to become flames, but luckily she wasn't hurt by it. Raimundo wasn't sure what to do; he would never purposely hurt Kimiko even to save himself. Kimiko was basically the only thing that mattered to him in his life, and he wouldn't live knowing he had killed her.

Raimundo decided to dodge. He would avoid attacks continuously and maybe she would be too tired to fight. Then… he would have a hope. _This is my last chance. I have to save Kimiko, or else… _Raimundo turned around. She was saddling up for another heavy attack, this time faster…

"Typhoon Boom- Wind!" he yelled. Wind came to his call; it blocked the heat particles from the fire for just long enough for Raimundo to get away. Raimundo jumped high and landed on a different part of the rock platform he stood on.

"Kim, I won't hurt you," he said quietly. He wasn't sure if she could hear, but it didn't matter. She didn't need to hear; he was saying this to reassure himself. He had to have confidence to understand how to defeat this evil, or else it could very possibly be the end of the world.

Continuously, Raimundo dodged Kimiko's fire attacks. He suddenly thought about the void, and recalled the horrifying images of the helpless people, who were now being burned and murdered inside that void. He shuddered involuntarily when he suddenly realized that Kimiko was right in front of him…

"Aaaaahhh!" He cried loudly, in shock. He managed to dodge most of it, but then he felt a deep pain in the side of his stomach. He moaned in pain and sank down on the rock, helpless to escape Kimiko's next attack.

"You are finished," Kimiko sneered derisively. "Don't even try to escape; your stomach is in horrible condition."

Raimundo knew that Kimiko was telling the truth. He felt the gash in his stomach, and it was huge. It was extremely painful to even move and the hole was spurting scarlet all over it. He knew it was gory and disgusting; he did not want to look at the blood coming out of his stomach. He tried very, very hard, but couldn't move further than a foot from his original spot. _When will this bleeding end? _He was desperate now. He saw the fiery light erupting from Heylin Kimiko's hand, its power threatening to destroy him any second now…

--

"So Aki was the Dragon on Water, like me?" Omi asked, bearing a gloaty atmosphere.

"Wha' was Celestia then, Master Fung?" Clay asked. "Which element?"

"Celestia was the Dragon of Fire. I chose you four because you had the chance of becoming Xiaolin Dragons, but I also realized that there was much coincidence in the choosing of the four. You four also represent the four warriors that died bravely 1500 years ago, young monks." Master Fung sighed after telling this piece of information to Clay and Omi, who were listening intently. "And now, it is time to begin where we have left off. This time not from Aki's past, but Celestia the Fire Dragon's past. Listen carefully, for these stories may contain something that will later assist you in defeating the greatest evil we have ever fought- undoubtedly Chase Young."

"We are listening, Master Fung," Omi said quietly.

Master Fung started again, this time beginning with a female whose name was Celestia.

--

Celestia P.O.V.- 1600 years ago 

Aki and I set out to the lands where there was too much evil, an evil too great to be fought alone. We had been peacefully helping lands in the far corners of the universe with our great powers, but then our world, Earth, called back to us. An assistant of Aki's, Dashi, had told us of a great tyrant with immense power beyond all comprehension. His true name was not known to anyone, but they called him 'Dark'.

I was about to leave through an easily crafted portal when Aki grasped my shoulder and pointed. The planet we were on, Shik, had these strange creatures that looked human but had great, fearsome claws and enhanced technology. The king walked towards us, accompanied by several of his men.

"What is it that you still want from us, King Jui?" I asked.

"Before you go. As thanks." The king grumbled at us, holding something in his hand.

Out of confusion, I asked, "What is that?"

"This is gem of Kihs. Great treasure. Give to you. Thank you." King Jui had a strange way of talking, but for his people it was pretty natural. He gently placed a transparent gem in my hands, like nothing I had ever seen. It somehow glowed an eerie blue…

"What does it do?" Aki stepped out and asked.

"Gem does many things. It has strong powers. It was only used in war once. Far back in history, Kihs the warrior created gem. It helped us defeat the Iskai group. Like you helped us now. We are thankful."

"Wow…I said, feeling the smoothness of the jewel. "And you made this, right here on your planet? From what?"

"It is from a cave that never found again. We try but can't. Inside is many gems."

"Oh, I see. Well, thank you, Jui. Here's a gift from me to you," I said. I gave him a small blade from my collection of many, and said, "This blade is from my ancestors back on Earth. It's a great weapon and has all kinds of interesting powers. This is for you and your people."

"Thank you very much, miss," Jui said happily.

After that, Aki told me we should get a move on. So I did.

The portal was reopened, and we both stepped in. In a split second, we landed back on Earth and saw our homes…

"Oh, no," Aki said. He was shocked and even frightened. "This can't be our land…"

"Oh, my God," I said. My knees were wobbly, my hands were shaking. Our house and the whole village was… it was burned. All I could see around me for miles and miles was the horrible black smoke still rising, the terrible ashes of the dead. Then, in the midst of the ruins, I saw something underneath a house move. "Aki, look!"

I nudged Aki in the shoulders and pointed to the arm of a human. "Water!" He yelled, and the waves of the ocean came in to aid him. The house was entirely lifted and washed away, and there was a familiar boy beneath it.

"Dashi," Aki mumbled.

"Master Aki!" Dashi called. He looked terrible. His arm was injured badly and his face was filled with scars and bruises. "I think I'm the only one who still is…alive."

"Where're the others?" I cried. "What about the temple?"

"Celestia… they're all destroyed. Everyone else is gone. I still haven't mastered my training, but I managed to stop the fire from getting me. Dark is heading towards Brazil, and he's going to destroy the whole continent. But he's being held back."

"By whom?" Aki demanded.

"A young man around the age of you guys. His name is Iaki and he's the Dragon of Wind. Very, very impressive guy, really. He's like you two." Dashi managed a weak smile, and then he fell over once again.

"Iaki," I whispered. It was an interesting name, not of Japan, where I came, or China, where Aki was from.

"We have to go find him." Aki held my hand. "We have to help save the whole continent of Brazil, because one man, even him, isn't enough."

"You're right," I said faintly. I looked back at the ruined village where Aki and I had hid in for a long time, and couldn't stop the tears flowing in my eyes. "We'll never see our beautiful village again…"

"There isn't time to think of that," Aki said, holding back all emotion.

"I want revenge on Dark." I was feeling sad, angry, miserable, and confused at the same time. But I knew that someday I would get back at Dark for doing this.

After we got to Brazil, we slept in the forest under different trees. I didn't dare sleep close to Aki; he was only a companion. I thought again of the village and its people, and in a wild moment of anger cried, "DARK!" as loud as I could. I would kill Dark, no matter what it took. To avenge my people.

--

The rest of my 3 chronicles of the Legendary Warriors will be more or less the same. Half Raimundo and Kimiko, half story of the four warriors. Hope you guys enjoyed this story!


	13. Story Three Iaki

Chapter 13-Story Three Iaki. This one features Iaki, blah blah blah. I really, really hate writing this legendary warrior thing, but I already started it and it takes up more space and it's also relevant to the rest of the story, so I just have to finish it. But it starts with a little more Rai/Kim battle, which is the only part I really enjoy. That's why, as you might have noticed, they're getting longer.

Thanks Kosmic for reviewing. (huggles) I feel so abandoned, nobody reviews this story or any of my stories anymore. Grrr.

--

"Wind!" Raimundo called in desperation. It was a last resort because he just couldn't move at will and the bleeding was causing him too much pain. His wind attack had used up plenty of energy, yet even to his eyes it looked feeble. He could feel the generating heat coming from Kimiko's hand. The air was getting hotter and hotter, and he felt sweat tingle the back of his neck. Just breathing made him fill with despair. It was so hot… he found himself struggling not to collapse. Everything around him was going blurry… he felt the blood warming around his stomach, which was still injured badly.

"W-Wind!" He called again, this time a bit stronger.

"You idiot, that wind you threw at me is not going to work this time," Kimiko's voice rang out, enjoying the moment. "I'll blast you to pieces!" With that, Kimiko threw a huge, blazing red fireball that to Raimundo resembled the sun. He knew it was hopeless now.

The wind was easily overpowered by the huge flame sent by Kimiko. "Farewell, Raimundo," she said softly after releasing the attack.

Raimundo had a sudden inspiration, a stroke of brilliance. "Sword of the Storm!" He held the sword in the exact right way, between him and the fire. The flames that were cast by Kimiko were vanquished as they hit the sword, which could not melt. He found it very hard just to lift the sword, and the weight of the fire made him sink down. He was weak now, and easily in the way of another fire attack.

"What?" Kimiko cried, outraged. "Y-you…"

Raimundo managed a weak sliver of a smile. "What about me?" He said with strength. Normally, if he had any energy at all, he would have taunted Kimiko, but he could barely say the words he had just said to Kimiko.

"How dare you escape me…"Kimiko's face was contorted with rage. She looked very dangerous at the moment. "Fireball Attack!"

"What?" Raimundo cried. He couldn't see because the light was so bright. Suddenly he felt searing pain through his entire body and fell down, unconscious.

Kimiko stepped on his unmoving body and smiled. "You're finished," she whispered. Then she took out a shiny silver dagger from her skirt's pocket and raised it right above his head.

--

Omi looked astounded. "So Iaki is the Dragon of the Wind?"

"Yes, Omi." Master Fung had a look on his face that seemed to welcome any other questions about his story so far. "He was a great warrior, perhaps stronger than even Aki. But there is no need to tell you now; you will hear this for yourself. That is, if you choose to listen to what more I have to say."

"All right, Master Fung, let's hear it," Clay said cheerfully.

"Then I shall begin," Master Fung said.

--

Iaki P.O.V.-1570 years ago 

I woke with a start. Where was my brother Krundo? It was the middle of the night, yet there was a brilliant light blinding me. "What is this?" I asked to the silence.

Outside, I suddenly heard the screams of many people. I sat up, alarmed. I quickly got into my warrior clothes and ran out doors. I slowly realized what the light surrounding the entire village was- fire. "Oh, no…"

"Iaki!" A loud voice boomed. Whoever spoke it seemed to be coming from not in front of me, but from above me. This voice made me shudder. It was shrill and mocking, and I was afraid of what it would do to our village in Brazil. "Iaki, you fool. I have half the village captive now, even before you woke up. The fire cannot be burned out; there is not enough water in such a village. So I give you the chance to surrender… or put your people to doom."

"I won't surrender, not to a coward like you! You won't even show yourself, will you? I will find a way, with my powers of wind!" I cried.

"Fool," Dark said menacingly, from high above the clouds. "You will soon see how big this mistake is, Iaki."

The circle of flames suddenly squeezed tighter together, trapping everyone inside. And it was getting smaller and smaller, and…

"Wind!" I shouted. I created a huge wind circle around the village, and it protected them from the fast-approaching flames. The fire hit the wind, but was repelled by the strong force. The villagers cheered me on, throwing me up and laughing because I had ensured their safety.

"It's nothing. And also, it isn't over yet. I've still got to destroy the fire." I winked. Then I focused all my energy and pushed out the great blasts of fire. The fiery circle disintegrated in a nearby lake.

"Iaki!" I heard a woman's voice, one I had never heard before, calling to me. I saw two people, a man with long hair and a Japanese woman shooting out from the sky.

"What do you want?" I asked. Was the man the one who had set the village on fire?

"We are fellow dragons, here to help you against the evil force that set your village and many others on fire, whose name is Dark. Help us defeat Dark, Iaki…" the man said, smiling. I knew this wasn't the one that set fire to my village. I returned his smile, calming the wind I created.

"My name is Celestia, Dragon of the Fire. But don't be afraid; I didn't set this fire to your village. Like Aki said, it was a great warrior named Dark. We really don't know much about him, except for the fact that his last name was Young. But that's not important. What _is _important is how to defeat Dark Young," the woman said coolly. She had glowing blue eyes with black hair, and to me I thought her image was beautiful.

"Dark already destroyed our village," Aki, the long-haired man, said to me. "I'm afraid that he has left nearly the entire continent of Asia in ruins. We have to figure out a way to restore peace. Because we have the powers necessary to save Earth, and with that greater power comes a greater responsibility."

"You are so philosophical," I muttered. "Anyways, have you two figured out the location of Dark Young's headquarters?"

"Not yet," Celestia said, her head hung. That simple gesture she gave me made me want to comfort her, but I didn't for security.

"Well, just in case you guys might want to know, us Brazilians have found another continent just north of us. We haven't really explored it thoroughly, but there is a legend about a warrior named Eienko who is very wise or something like that. Maybe we should investigate him? His element's earth, by the way. That's what they say," I told them, satisfied that I knew something that could help us.

"Eienko? I've never heard of him," Aki said suspiciously.

"Obviously. You're an Asian," I pointed out, annoyed.

"Oh yeah," he said, turning red in the face. Celestia laughed.

"So we're going to find this Eienko guy, then?" Celestia asked me and Aki.

"Yeah," I said, blushing. Why did Celestia make me so nervous?

"Well then," Aki said impatiently, "We're not just going to wait around her, are we?"

"Nope," Celestia said. "I guess not."

Celestia aimed a beam of fire at Aki, who repelled it with his water. A tunnel formed, and Aki gestured for me to walk in. So I did.

--

Yes, yes, it's short. What do you expect from me? I'm too bored to make it long.


	14. Story Four Eienko

YAYYY! The fourth Chronicle of the Legendary Warriors is here. (Pokes self) Since when did I call this annoying five-chapter thing a chronicle? (sighs) Anyways, enjoy chapter 14, which is the longest so far. Dark is going to finally show his horrible face in this one. I'm going to make the chronicles of the original warriors five chapters, one with each warrior and one about the actual fight with Dark.

Actually, they really aren't that boring, but it's tiring to write about these warriors without really any information and I can't think of anything. But at least someone likes it. (nudges ChinaWings cheerfully)

By the way, my time line is completely messed up. Don't mind it or else it will sound very, very stupid.

Enjoy this lots and miss it when it ends or else. (just kidding)

--

"Raimundo…" the Heylin Kimiko whispered. She raised the dagger even higher, so that the stab would be harder and certain to kill. She thought morbid thoughts of the blood that would spurt into the air, smiling viciously. "You are mine."

"Kim…don't…" Raimundo regained consciousness to find a knife being held write above him. He was frightened to death, and felt extremely hurt and uncomfortable. The hot blood was still flowing out of his stomach and many other areas where Kimiko had attacked him.

"Why not? I'll enjoy this. I want to see you crumble before me as I, the one who you care about most, take your life. And you won't hurt me even to save yourself, will you? You actually said that yourself. It's too bad you care too much for the person who will be responsible for your very downfall," Kimiko's lips curled higher into the most malicious grin Raimundo had ever seen. He couldn't bear seeing Kimiko like that, so he looked down sadly.

Raimundo lay, hopeless and desperate. He was thinking and thinking of some possible way to get out, but couldn't. Warm tears flooded his eyes. Was he going to die now? How could he die at the hands of the person he loved the most? It made him sad, the way the world was so twisted that something like this could happen. Why did Chase Young become so cold, so good at torturing people? He saw the knife flash brighter and Kimiko give him a sober look. "You're dead."

Raimundo didn't think; it was like instinct. He grabbed Kimiko around the arms and hugged her deeply, embracing her neck.

"No," Kimiko whispered, with a look of horror on her face. "You didn't…"

The spirit inside of Kimiko, the spirit that had caused Kimiko to nearly kill her greatest friend, released its evil grip for a few moments. The spirit was a creature of hatred, lurking the underworld in order to find some way to torture the people who cared about each other. And now, it saw the truth. Even after Kimiko had nearly caused Raimundo's death, he still loved her as deeply as ever. The spirit could not control Kimiko's body, because inside laid the force that it detested more than anything: love.

With the few moments the real Kimiko had control over her own body, she took the knife and tossed it into the deep pits of the mysterious black void. "Rai," she said softly. "Thank you."

Raimundo smiled weakly, hugging her even harder. "Are you…are you free now?"

"Not yet. Stay away from me!" Kimiko's body began shaking uncontrollably, as if she were going to break into pieces any second now. Suddenly, the sincere light in her eyes faded and revealed blankness, the kind smile faltered into a malicious grimace, and the beauty of Kimiko's self evaporated. Raimundo stared in horror, his eyes filling with tears again. He had never been emotional before, and he knew that he had cried on this day more than all the other times in his life. But he didn't care at all about that. He felt at that moment as if he had lost his friend Kimiko all over again, and that made him sadder than anyone. "No!" he could not stop shouting, he wanted this horrible reality to just be a dream, he wanted it to be gone as soon as he woke up… It was real. He didn't want to think at that moment, he just collapsed onto hard rock.

"I've lost you once… and now I'll lose you again," he murmured.

"Too right you have," Heylin Kimiko said with a conniving look in her hard eyes. "I'm back, unfortunately for you. You didn't think a simple hug could keep me away, now did you, my little Raimundo?"

"Yeah, I did," Raimundo said vaguely, with more courage than he actually had.

"Well, turns out you were wrong," Heylin Kimiko smiled. "You may have gotten rid of my precious dagger, but let me warn you, I have other ways. You didn't already forget about Judo Lette Flip, now did you?"

"First of all, get away from me," Raimundo said angrily. "And second, stop overusing the words 'now did you', because I'm going to find a way to stop you."

"And how will you do that?" Kimiko asked smugly.

"You'll see," Raimundo said, slowly standing back up, smiling as he began to formulate a plan.

--

"Well, my young monks, it is time for my last tale of the warriors. You may want to know why I have told you so much. Part of it is that I feel obligated to do so. The other reason is because you must know your own strength, you own weapons, if you want to win. There is a quote from Sun Tzu: 'If you know your enemies and you know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory you gain you will also earn a defeat. If you know neither yourself nor the enemy, you will succumb in every battle.' " Master Fung gave them his wise smile, then continued. "You need to know about you own weapons, as well as your enemy. There is nothing of the great Chase Young in my story, but you have learned about Dark Young, who is, indeed, an ancestor of Chase. By learning about the great lord who once rose to evil, you will also learn of the great lord that is threatening us now. That is why this is crucial to defeating Chase Young and Wuya."

"Yes, Master Fung. We'll listen like a bored cow that can't go anywhere," Clay said.

"Yes, Master Fung, please continue with the tale of Eienko," Omi pleaded.

"Very well," Master Fung said. He closed his eyes and began to story of the last warrior, who was not physically great but had the greatest wisdom ever seen in one man alone.

--

Eienko-1540 years ago 

"Eienko, there seem to be newcomers in our land," said a villager from one of the desert areas. Eienko had been appointed as chief because of his intelligence and skill as a fighter, and when there was trouble the villages sent a person to call on him.

"Who are they and what do they want?" Eienko asked, frowning.

" The…we don't know, but there are two strong-looking warriors and a very beautiful woman who also looks like a warrior," the man said.

"Have they come to fight us?" Eienko asked.

"I think not, Chief Eienko. They came with the Symbol of Peace in our nation. I highly doubt they want to war with us, and they are also plenty outnumbered. With a leader like you, I daresay it is impossible for any three warriors to defeat us."

"You may have underestimated our enemy," Eienko said, his face falling. "I don't think those three you were speaking of have any need to fight us, but there is rumor that many, many cities in the foreign area south of us have been destroyed by but one man. I have not heard all the facts yet, but it seems that he is planning to come here next, to destroy out villages and everything. Strange methods he uses, too. It appears that instead of really setting fire to a village, he prefers to shake them with enormous lightning that strikes down several houses and creates fire. And fire is not his only tactic. The most unfortunate are swallowed by their sea, and kept alive every single moment to experience the feeling of not being able to breath."

The villager quieted at this story. "Well, then, Chief Eienko, should I bring the three warriors that came to see you or not?"

"Go ahead," Eienko urged him.

The villager left running toward his village as fast as he could, to escort the three newcomers. He reached it about 10 minutes later, as all the villages were close enough to Eienko's palace. Then he told Aki, Celestia and Iaki to come with him. They followed along, smiling and exchanging glances. In another 10 minutes they arrived.

"Sir," the villager said breathlessly, "I've brought them. Should I go now?"

"Yes, you may leave if you wish to. Now…" Eienko cast his glance at Aki. "Who are you three and what do you want with our village?"

"Are you Chief Eienko?" Aki demanded back at Eienko.

"It so happens that I am. But more importantly… who are you?"

"I'm Iaki, she's Celestia, and the other guy's Aki," Iaki said with an air of looseness.

"Thank you. Now…why are you here at all?" Eienko asked.

"We need your help, Eienko," Celestia spoke up. "There is an evil man named Dark Young planning to capture your area and the entire world! He's succeeding and we have to stop him before there isn't any chance left!"

"I know about Dark Young. Have you ever fought him?" Eienko was interested in this information about Dark.

"Yes, in the past year we were looking for you… we saw many things that we rather would not see. We have more information on Dark now. It seems he was born from a village around here and left at an early age. He seems intent on getting revenge on the world, and I don't understand why. He has yellow, reptilian eyes and dark black hair with a faint green luminescence," Aki supplied. "Do you have any knowledge of who Dark is and his reasons for committing these heinous crimes? Because we do know that Dark was born here, definitely."

"Born here, with yellow eyes and black hair… that would be extremely unusual coloring for anyone of my area." Eienko pondered for a while. Suddenly his face turned white. "No… It couldn't be…"

"Who is it?" Iaki asked.

"My younger brother or my mother. I would say it's my younger brother, Dark seems like a man and not a woman. The point is, while everyone else has blonde or brown and even red hair, my mother had black hair and glowing brownish-yellow eyes. My brother inherited those features while I took my father's blue eyes and blonde hair." Eienko looked quite faint after saying this, and rested on his armchair.

"So… we're going to be waging war against…your very own brother?" Celestia looked mortified at the thought. "But… that's against my morale! How can you bear fighting against your own brother?"

"Because he is evil," Eienko said resentfully. "I'll stop him at all costs."

"Even kill him?" Aki asked, shocked.

"If I have to," Eienko said, keeping his face empty and blank.

They suddenly noticed the air. It had the rancid smell of…dead bodies! Eienko cried out in alarm. "My villagers have been attacked!"

"Hurry, then!" Iaki yelled as he ran towards the village where he smelled the horrible smell. Aki, Celestia and Eienko followed on quick pursuit.

They past through cacti, a clearing… suddenly they saw it. There, standing on top of a house that it had smashed to pieces, was a giant monster. It had 12 equally vicious eyes and horrible bloody teeth. Its claws were outstretched, ready to grab and devour the villager that had come to deliver the message to Eienko earlier.

"You will not take him!" Eienko yelled. He took out a sword and ran to attack, positioning himself so that he could leap onto the monster's chest. He attacked and caused it to falter, giving a sign for Iaki to attack as it was swaying.

Iaki stepped backwards, and then ran straight at the monster, launching a jumping kick a few feet away from the monster with perfect grace. He sailed through the air, kicking the vile monster into a large cactus. The monster howled in pain as blood spurted from its wounds.

"Bow and Arrows-Flame!" Celestia called out as she aimed at the monster's heart on the left side of its chest. She shot a flaming arrow and got it perfect- smack in the middle. The creature let out an agonizing scream and blood fell everywhere.

Aki gave the final blow- "Halberd of Water!" Water shot at the monster, carrying its dead body out to the ocean. The village was safe for a few moments. Then the darkness came again. "It can't…"

"You fools. Defeating my monster isn't enough, obviously. I'll have to destroy you all. Aki, the brave warrior seeking companions, Celestia, the beautiful village girl, Iaki, the valiant hero of Brazil, and my dear brother Eienko the Chief." Dark's voice rang out. There was a brilliant flash of light, and suddenly everything went dark. The cactuses disappeared, as did the last drop of water in the desert. The sand and rocks became hard a black, spreading darkness all over. Dark Young glowed in an electrical violet light, seemingly representing the chaos that was all over the area.

"Oh, no," Eienko said mournfully. "Please…"

"Too late," Dark sneered. "It's over for all of you, my brave heroes."

--

My first cliffhanger in a while. I hate cliffhangers myself, yet I always write them. I hate myself. Please R&R!


	15. Dark's Defeat

I need to catch up on From the Heart now. I hope you guys have liked this so far, it took me a long time to finish this chapter. End of the story of the original dragons. Woohoo. Boo. Whatever you think.

Thank you all for your reviews, 53 reviews is really awesome. And thanks for over 3000 hits! Ouch, all those hits really hurt… Don't mind me, I'm in an insane mood. :P

Enjoy Chapter 15, Dark's Defeat!

--

Raimundo grinned weakly. Why hadn't he thought of it before? It had taken a while for him to realize it, but the monstrous soul inside of Kimiko was pure evil, deriving its power from the tormented and unrequited love, from the hatred burning inside of a human being. But to show love weakened it greatly and could conquer it easily. Raimundo knew what he had to do now. It was simple and easy to take care of the Heylin Kimiko.

"Don't just stand there," Kimiko snarled. "Why don't you try something on me?"

"Oh, I will all right," Raimundo said, putting on an annoyingly cheerful face. "But I bet you what I'm going to do next is going to defeat you once and for all."

"Don't bluff with me," Kimiko said angrily. "Dance of the Fire!"

Kimiko had unleashed another new attack, this time even stronger than the last. From her hand came a huge ray of fire, spreading all around Raimundo. The fiery blasts formed a wall around Raimundo, blocking any possible way for Raimundo to escape. "This will be fun," Kimiko said, her face lit by the dancing flames. She shot fireballs at Raimundo at Raimundo, who was trapped by the flames encircling him.

"There's no chance you'll escape," Kimiko whispered maliciously.

Raimundo felt the heat from the ring of fire and the streaming balls of fury heading towards him, closer and closer…

"Typhoon Boom- Wind!" Raimundo concentrated on his element. He let out a blast of wind that threw the shooting balls of fire all over the place.

"What?" Kimiko was outraged. "You little…"

"Little what?" Raimundo asked derisively. He was still very weak from his encounter and although the wound in his stomach had mostly stopped bleeding, the pain was as immense as ever.

"Save your breath. Because I'm about to unleash the strongest fire attack ever known in history," Kimiko said, seemingly forgetting about the rudeness of Raimundo. She raised her hands slowly and did a kind of careful-moving dance. Raimundo laughed weakly at the ridiculousness of this fire attack.

"Oh, yeah. Dancing. I can do that too, if you want me to," Raimundo said.

"Fire Explosion!" Kimiko yelled, oblivious to Raimundo's taunting.

"Say what?" Raimundo asked with concern as the wall of fire flew at him with full speed and the ceiling collapsed, revealing a great flash of light. He winced as the fire began swirling as if there was an unseen force holding it.

Suddenly, the full strength of the attack came. There was an explosion and a light brighter than a hundred stars clashing together and the heat became so intense that everything around Raimundo was ripped into pieces. Raimundo felt as if he couldn't breath because of it and he tried to speak but his voice was muffled. Kimiko stayed in the air, watching in pleasure as Raimundo suffered in the tormenting heat.

"Don't…Kim…" slowly Raimundo's face began turning white, even with the livid colors of flame surrounding him. He summoned a wind, which lifted him up to Kimiko. Kimiko looked surprised to see that he was still alive in the horrible heat and the flames that covered nearly the entire area. "What do you want?" She sneered at him.

"I want to get through…to you…" Raimundo said, his vision blurring. "Stop it…"

"You fool," Kimiko said. She slapped him with such force that he slammed into the succumbing rock wall. It broke and Raimundo had to work extremely hard to get out of the way. He walked to Kimiko on unstable and floating rock pieces, working his way to her slowly.

"Kim…" he could barely stand. He felt his clothes burn, he felt the infernal heat that was getting stronger and stronger… but he continued walking. He would never, ever give up on Kimiko.

"Get away!" Kimiko cried, about to attack, but Raimundo acted quickly. He knew this was his last chance to get through to her, to save Kimiko… he kissed her.

For a moment Kimiko stood stock-still, shocked. Then she gave a terrible moan and screamed a few times before she fainted on the rock. The spirit was gone and Kimiko free. Raimundo smiled weakly and fell to the ground. Everything was going dark…

"It's time for the four monks to disintegrate," Chase said as he paced at the top of the rock formation.

Raimundo had no strength left to stop him.

--

Omi was wary. Master Fung's story had taken an hour or so and during some of it even Omi could not help but yawn, but he was excited about the last part. What would happen to Dark? Would the four warriors defeat Dark or die in the attempt? This was fascinating to him and he was eager to hear the last part of the story of the four warriors. He glanced over at Clay, and Clay seemed equally enthusiastic.

"Master Fung, please continue!" Omi yelled.

"All right, Omi. No need to speak so loudly," Master Fung said, smiling.

--

Celestia was the first to act. "Dark, you will pay!" She took out an arrow and shot at the warrior Dark, who smiled and raised a hand. The arrow immediately crumbled the moment it came in contact with Dark Young, and he shrugged as if nothing had happened. "You might want to try a lot harder."

"What?" Celestia's face showed nothing short of disbelief. The other warriors were staring in amazement as well at Dark's power. "Why…how…"

Aki instantly moved into action. He took his halberd and aimed it perfectly at Dark with the power of water. Dark did not look alarmed; rather, he smiled. "Is this the best you can do, warrior of the Xiaolin forces?"

The halberd hit Dark with tremendous force and trapped him inside a bubble surrounded by an extravaganza of water. It looked as if Dark Young had been defeated after all. But then Dark unexpectedly slashed at the water, which he absorbed into his metal-armored hand. "Thank you for giving me that power," he said in a pleasant tone that angered Aki and all the other warriors even more.

"Damn it," Iaki said angrily. He charged directly at Dark with his claws. "Iaki, don't do that, you'll get hurt!" Celestia cried in desperation.

Iaki didn't listen. He lunged on with all his strength and slashed Dark's armor in rage. The armor fell off, revealing a long white cloak that looked as if it had never been touched by any dust. Dark smiled and hit Iaki smack in the face. Iaki saw the blood fall out of his face and felt a great pain, collapsing onto the ground.

Eienko stood still while Celestia rushed to Iaki and helped him get his wound healed. He looked at Dark straight in the face, trying to remember everything about his younger brother. He wondered… how had Dark Young gotten so powerful?

"Brother… release us before it is too late," Eienko commanded firmly.

"You fool, I'm not going to obey you," Dark said, for the first time sounding a little annoyed and irritated, almost angry.

"Then I have no choice," Eienko said. He pulled out a small object, an orb. "Orb of Light, destroy the dark!"

Suddenly a light flashed and nobody could see anything for a few seconds. Aki could hear the screams of Dark, a horrible sound that grew louder and louder with the equally loud shouts of Eienko. Then everything returned to normal, and the darkness that Dark had caused disappeared.

"Did you do it?" Iaki said, lifting a weak head.

"No," Eienko said. "Look."

Dark was covered in that same light, glowing and floating around him. He was struggling, but suddenly the light disappeared and Dark laughed in the wicked way of his. He looked as though he were very tired and wary, though.

With a great force, Dark unleashed his anger on Aki with a brilliant bolt of black and blue lightning, hitting Aki so quickly it was almost impossible to see except for a momentary light. Suddenly, Aki was writhing in pain and his chest was bleeding horribly. "No!" Iaki called, running to aid his fellow warrior.

Eienko shook his head in sadness. "Please, my brother Dark, don't do this. If you continue… I'll have to kill you in the end."

"You? Kill me? Haven't you realized how powerful I have become? That orb that you possess may be able to trap me, but there is not nearly enough power in that alone to stop me, for the orb contains the purity inside you heart. There is too much darkness to overcome, you fool of an older brother…" Dark laughed cruelly.

"The we'll try again," Celestia said quietly. She took a bow and, concentrating on putting all her strength in the arrow she held in her hands, shot an arrow with glowing fire that had never been seen before. The arrow hit Dark directly in the chest, causing him to bleed. Celestia smiled warily and fell to the ground, without any more energy left.

Dark gave her a look of pure hatred and threw the powerless arrow onto her weak arm, which immediately bled. Celestia opened her eyes and attempted to get up.

"Celesta!" Iaki ran to her, even though he was wounded. He cried over her still body and looked Eienko in the eye. Eienko nodded and Aki smiled weakly.

Dark apparently realized what their plan was, and struck Iaki with the same bolt of dark lightning. Iaki cried in pain, clutching the arm that he had been hit in. He struggled to move, blood flowing out of his mouth. He was paralyzed.

Celestia managed to move after a few minutes, some energy regained as she slowly crawled to Eienko. Eienko, Celestia, Aki and Iaki, using all their strength, touched the orb together, knowing what they had to do.

"Orb of Purity!" They shouted together, focusing the last piece of energy on light and pure energy, which streamed into the orb and shot out as a light much more magnificent that before, endlessly spreading across the entire world with its strength.

Dark tried to destroy it using his dark powers, but all four of the warriors held on and kept fighting with the strength from within. The battle raged between light and dark for hours and hours, and then a flash of all colors appeared in the way an aurora did.

Aki was weak, his body strewn with blood from the horrid battle. He did not move anymore and closed his eyes, wondering if he was going to die. He let rest take him over and died, slowly but bravely as a warrior who saved the entire world, his body slumped on the ground with an eminence of calmness.

Celestia found herself awake in a light that never grew brighter and never dimmed. She smiled as she felt the cool breeze overtake her and felt that she could move slowly. Celestia walked carefully as she saw that there was once again grass in a land that had been desert for as long as history itself.

Iaki awoke too, bloody and without strength. He smiled weakly as Celestia walked over to him, crying loud sobs. With all that was left of his strength, he kissed her. "I love you. I want you to know that, before I die." He smiled as she kissed him back, looking at the bright light all around him. It grew dimmer and dimmer until it went out completely. Iaki died there, right in Celestia's bloody arms.

Eienko sat in peace as he looked at the ruins of his village. It had been completely destroyed, like many of the other areas that Dark had conquered, but he smiled, knowing that he had helped to save the rest of the world. There were always survivors, no matter how horrible the force that destroyed many people. He knew that, and he wanted to help them. He saw the body of Aki and walked to it, falling at his knees to honor him. He had died bravely in battle, and this deed would be remembered for as long as humankind existed. He was sure of that. He went over to the place where Celestia was crying glowing tears of sorrow and regret over Iaki. Eienko smiled understandingly and gave her a comforting nod. It was over now. He and Celestia both gave each other the faintest of smiles, smiles that contained no happiness and only reassurance.

The war might have been over, but the results were deadly. Many people had been murdered under Dark's evil reign, and in the end Dark himself was found dead. Celestia and Eienko were never very happy people again, feeling the pain many people often do when they are alive and their friends and comrades, who had helped them more than any other person possible, died while they survived. They were friends and had good times, but it was never like before. War did that to people; it could rip a person to shreds at acknowledging the fact that people they cared about were dead.

They stayed together for a while, and then separated and walked their own ways. They were no longer young, no longer whole. Celestia died on the exact same day that Eienko did. Perhaps the bond between them was so strong that they knew they had to die together, as Aki and Iaki did that day twenty-five years ago.

Although they had destroyed Dark, lurking around was Dark's child Chase, whom Dark had thrown away as soon as he decided to reign over the world. Chase smiled, ready to do the same his father had done long ago. He was no longer young, and he was ready to become immortal. To do what he needed to do to take over the world.

--

Oh, my God. That gave me a real headache writing. I hope you all enjoyed it and please review.


	16. The Battle of Xiaolin and Heylin

Chapter 16, finally! I figure this fanfiction will probably be longer than 20 chapters. Anyways, this chapter is mainly on Wuya, Omi and Clay. Omi and Clay against Wuya again, but this time...well, at least they escape. Sorry if I'm spoiling this for you. And thanks for reviewing, everyone! I love you guys. Every time I think one of my stories is hopeless, you start commenting and making me feel better again.

So here's chapter 16, The Battle of Xiaolin and Heylin.

--

Master Fung smiled lightly. "The story is over now, and the results I have told you. I am afraid that I can't determine what will be next for you though. You must save Raimundo at all costs, and Kimiko as well. For I am afraid that if you do not act soon, it will be too late. I trust you, Omi and Clay, to do this. But you must bring as many Shen Gong Wu as you need. I know there is a possibility of losing the ones you bring, but it is worth the risk. I will confide in you."

"That is a great honor, Master Fung," Omi said, tipping his head in a slight bow. "We will fulfill our duties and save our fellow Xiaolin Warriors."

"Righ' you are, Omi," Clay said. "We can't let our friends Kim and Rai down."

"I am glad you agree," Master Fung said. "But you had better hurry. Action is more valued than words, as you know."

"We know," Clay said. He nodded to Omi, showing the nervous sweat on his face. "It's just, maybe today's the last day I'll be alive. I sure don' hope it, but I feel so anxious and troubled, ya know?

"I feel the same way," Omi said, patting Clay's back understandingly. He walked out of the temple door, hesitated for a few seconds, and turned to face Master Fung. "Master Fung, please do not forget us if we die in battle today."

"Don't worry, Omi, I wouldn't," Master Fung replied, his face looking worried.

Clay smiled at Omi and walked out with him. They ran past the forest's green depths and the assortment of creatures that lay hidden there, as fast as they could, racing past everything and never stopping, no matter how intriguing it was. They could see the area where Kimiko had been fooled into going, the portal that Raimundo had followed Kimiko into. That portal represented something much greater than what it truly was- it represented death, the greatest deed evil could commit. Although it was only a portal that led to a different place, it felt to both Omi and Clay that they were walking straight to their deaths, as if that portal was not only a portal but also the path to their demise.

"Doesn't this seem a little too easy? What do you think, Omi?" Clay asked, suspicious of their surroundings.

"Yes, I am afraid that it does. The last time we attempted to do what we were there to do, Wuya was here to stop us. It either means that Chase has already accomplished what he set out to accomplish, or Wuya is-" Omi cut short, his eyes wide and fearful.

"Here," said the soft voice of a woman. "And you are right."

From the dark shadows of the forest, a figure emerged, walking slowly. Although Omi and Clay could not see beyond the darkness, they knew that the woman was Wuya, and that she was almost certainly smiling her little cruel smile behind them. The feeling of dread arose on them as the footsteps grew louder and louder in a deliberate manner.

"Hello, Omi and Clay," whispered the figure as she stepped out from the shadows. It was a woman with vivid, flaming red hair that hung in loose waves gently lying on her back. She had cool green eyes the color of dirty water and a mark across her right cheek, a symbol of the Heylin side. She also had a terrible smile that contained no happiness, a smile that only contained the fact that she enjoyed the torment that Omi and Clay were feeling at that moment as she walked slowly. That woman was Wuya.

"Wuya, this time you're really gonna get it," Clay said fiercely.

"Oh, am I?" Wuya asked, laughing evilly. Her whole body glowed with an eerie green light, covering the entire area with a sickly green glow. Beams of green flew out at the two monks, who immediately dodged them.

But it seemed as if Wuya's power was unlimited, for as long as they dodged she kept shooting. Omi was panting heavily. "How can we keep up? I am too exhausted."

"Same here, pardner," Clay said miserably, while dodging a bright blast of green light that shot at a great speed. "And it seems like she's only goin' faster."

"She is too strong to defeat," Omi said. "How can we stop her?"

"I have to get this right," Clay muttered almost inaudibly. He took out the bag of Shen Gong Wu from beneath his hat and took one out. The Claw of Iaki.

"Clay of Iaki-Earth!" Clay yelled as he stuck the deep and sharp claws into the Earth. Rocks burst from the ground and formed a protection for them as the beams commenced at full force. "I reckon this'll keep 'em away for at least a lil' bit."

"Thank you, Clay," Omi said, his face shining with sweat. "But how long will we survive after this?"

Suddenly the rock wall burst into pieces and the green light lit the skies again. Clay and Omi backed off, wondering what was going to happen to them.

Wuya looked as ferocious as ever, her green eyes flashing angrily. "You think that you could escape from me, the greatest Heylin witch to ever exist?"

"Tornado Strike-Water!" Omi cried, using his strongest move.

"Fist of Tebigong-Earth!" Clay shouted at Wuya.

The combination of huge chunks of rock and water shot fast at Wuya, who gave her arm a simple flick and suddenly the water smashed into the rocks, eroding it into tiny, shattered pieces. Omi gasped at her power.

"How will we ever stop her?" Clay asked desperately.

"I do not know, my friend. For once, I do not know," Omi bowed his head in defeat.

"Wait a second…Omi! Let's use the four legendary Shen Gong Wu against her! Together they defeated Dark, and maybe we can do the same to Wuya! You take the Halberd of Aki and I'll take the Globe of Eienko. You know, so we can match our elements," Clay said, giving Omi a thumbs-up sign. It was their last hope.

Omi grabbed the Halberd of Aki and put the Orb of Tornami in the circular hole that was designated to put some sort of round object inside. He raised his halberd, struggling under its weight, and fired with all his strength. "Halberd Tornami!"

A huge blast of water fired at Wuya, with the combined powers of the Orb of Tornami and the Halberd of Aki, causing Wuya to falter and drop down to her knees as the wave rushed at her with intense power.

Clay took the Globe of Eienko and stuck it inside the Fist of Tebigong, striking the ground with great force. "Fist of the Globe!"

Rocks rose out of the ground with a tremendous power, surrounding Wuya and causing rocks and boulders the size of a mountain to tumble at Wuya as she lay there, stricken by the cold water that Omi had created. Wuya was trapped as the rocks hit her, and this time Clay and Omi were the ones smiling in triumph as she was covered in the heap of earth.

Their victory did not last very long, for after a few minutes as they sat and took a small rest on their way to the underworld, a raging green flame arose from the corners of the spiky rock that Clay had trapped Wuya beneath.

"You fools! How dare you attempt to defeat me!" Wuya cried in outrage, and this time there was no mocking sound in her voice, no smugness. She sounded truly angry, and this could only be bad news for Omi and Clay. She was finally going to start using the true extent of her evil Heylin power.

Omi exchanged glances with Clay, who shook his head in misery. "Just after we celebrated our victory, we find out that we were wrong."

"Arrow of Celestia-Ice!" Omi said bravely as he shot the arrow. It struck near Wuya, but as soon as it almost reached her, an invisible barrier repelled the arrow. Wuya gave Omi a cold glance. "Now you die."

Wuya flew right at Omi, shooting beams of that same light green color left and right at him. "What do we do now?" Omi cried over the noise of the breaking rocks and the desperate cries of the animals of the forest as the trees burned to shreds.

"We run!" Clay said with despair in his voice. They were panicked, and there was chaos in their minds as they wonder every second what they were going to do and how they were going to survive. They ran as quickly as they could towards the portal, knowing that they would be safe if they went in. But it was too dangerous, and Wuya had already formed a shield around it. Yet Omi and Clay knew that they had to try, or else they would die at that moment at the hands of Wuya.

"But the barrier…how do we…?" Omi asked, panicking.

"I've got an idea," Clay said in reply. "Claw of Iaki!"

The claw sliced through Wuya's barrier as if it had not existed at all, its force striking the formation with a white slash mark where it had hit its target. Omi and Clay ran for dear life as Wuya suddenly hit Clay in the back with an electrifying beam.

Clay felt a searing pain in his back and he collapsed as he tried to run the last four feet to the portal where Omi had disappeared into. Omi had only heard him fall, and turned back to look at Clay too late as he vanished inside. Clay hoped that Omi was all right, but he could feel the blood squeezing out of him as he lay flat on the floor. He suddenly felt the horrible sensation of feeling double pain, and looked up to see that Wuya had stepped over his body.

"You've caused too much trouble to stay alive…" Wuya took out her arm, revealing dark bloodred claws pointing at his throat. "There's nothing to save you now."

"As always, you're wrong," Clay said, and with all he had left inside of him plunged the Claw of Iaki at Wuya's chest. Wuya gave an agonized scream of deep pain, and, seizing the moment, Clay crawled as fast as he could into the portal. He could feel his body whirling, and he felt like screaming himself as he felt the sickening speed…

He opened his eyes. Chase Young was smiling at Raimundo's body as he surveyed the scene. Omi was running as quickly as he could and Kimiko was unconscious. What had happened here?

Then Chase turned his dark eyes on Clay.

--

Yeah, that's it for now. I'll update soon, I promise.


	17. Final Battle Begins

I need to start working on From the Heart again. Why do I always fall behind so much? It's kind of hard to manage 6 stories at the same time though, that's probably why I can't update one story a lot anymore. Thanks everyone for the reviews (61 is the coolest number! XD) and the hits (Over 4200).

Okay, I gotta get on with it. In the future chapters, nobody will die. (waits for sighs of relief) Well, Chase will get destroyed and Wuya trapped again (haha, trapped three times in her life…I almost feel sorry for her) and all that. One day I need to write a story with a bad ending, but that day is not today. (grins)

Please read and review chapter 17, Final Battle Begins.

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Clay was terrified at the look on Chase's face, a look of malice and terrible evil. "So you all made it through alive, eh? How disappointing. Ah, well, instead of disposing of two of you at once, I can now destroy all four of you together. This plan was foolproof from the beginning. Well, perhaps not from the beginning. After all, I almost expected Jack to be a failure… but it turned out that Kimiko, that girl, has less wit than I thought she did. But the beauty of my plan is the fact that each of you care about one another. You make sacrifices for one another. You want to help each other and stay together until the end. That wish, I will grant. Today, you will die together."

"No," Clay whispered, horrified. He looked at Raimundo and Kimiko's bodies, unconscious and possibly even dead already. He looked at Omi, whose usually brave warrior's face was faltering like never before. Were they too late? Were they about to suffer the same terrible fate as their friends? Clay shuddered involuntarily.

"But you will not defeat us!" Omi said bravely. "We can stop you!"

"Can you? _Can you?_" Chase's deep voice was thick with derisiveness. "You are too weak and feeble! Perhaps you might defeat me one day, Omi, when you become strong enough…but I'm afraid your time has just run up. I have tried to get you to join me, but your little friends found a way to save you. I'm afraid that I am through with that thought. The only way is to kill you."

"But the four legendary warriors defeated your ancestor, Dark Young with their power of unity. Their powers did not measure up to Dark's, perhaps, but in the end it was the strong bond between them that counted!" Omi shouted with bravery in his voice that did not match the horror that covered his eyes.

"I reckon Omi's right, Chase! We might not have your power, but we have something way stronger than any power!" Clay said in a hoarse but nevertheless valiant voice.

"Ah, you are relating the present to the past, are you not? Well, I'm afraid to say, monks, that my power far surpasses the strength of any ancestor that I ever had! Nothing, not even that orb, can stop the power that I hold," Chase said smugly.

"Clay…" Raimundo's weak voice called out. "He's wrong. We can beat him."

"Yo, pardner, you gotta get your rest there," Clay said, looking concerned for the injuries that splattered Raimundo's bloody body. "Save your strength."

"All…right… but I want to help you," Raimundo said, giving Clay the faintest shadow of a smile as he lay there helpless, trying to encourage Clay. Instead, it made Clay feel horribly guilty and sad that Raimundo had hurt himself so much for the sake of Kimiko and that he himself had never done something like that, and that he wasn't fighting while he was in a good condition while the people like Raimundo and Kimiko were always fighting, struggling even when they were on the verge of death.

"No need," Clay said, turning away to hide his face. "I'll be all right."

"Yes. We will fight until we cannot fight any more!" Omi said. Then he turned to face Chase Young. "You told me that it is not the greatest warrior that wins, but the strongest will. And I will prove that me and my friends have the will to defeat you."

"That doesn't matter." Chase gave Omi a small smile. "You still remember, though, do you? I will give you another chance to join my side… to save your friends."

"Save my friends?" Omi's eyes widened and he looked at Clay. "Should I…?"

Clay shook his head. "What's the bargain?"

"You must give me that dragon, Dojo," Chase replied, his smile broadening. "With him, I shall become immortal and have no need of my other form, that hideous dragon that I become. If you give me him, I shall grant you and your friends your freedom. But if I do, you must swear to join me as well and your friends should never return to my palace."

Omi was confused and thought deeply about this. His friends? Or his freedom and Dojo's as well? He shook his head, trying desperately to think of what to do. Chase watched with pleasure as the little monk struggled.

"Omi," whispered the tiny voice of Kimiko. It was like before, soft and smooth, with a genuine sense. "Don't do it."

She reached her hand out to him and grabbed it. "Please." Omi looked deep into her blue eyes as she gave him a smile.

"But your life is at stake! I want you and Raimundo and Clay to be safe," Omi said, still not making his decision. "Your lives are at my hand. If I were to fail you, to let you three die… I could never live on."

"That isn't the way. You are risking yours and Dojo's life as well. Don't do this. We can all still fight…help you…even till the end. If we die, we can be comforted by the fact that we will all die together." A tear came sliding out of Kimiko's eye, falling onto Omi's yellow hand. He looked closely at the marks on her face, the bruises and cuts she had received during the terrible battle. She had never, not even once, given up hope on him when everyone else had. He smiled gently and lay Kimiko on the floor carefully.

"You're right." Omi winked to Clay and looked at Chase directly in the eye. "Chase Young, you want my answer? It is no."

"What?" Chase screamed in outrage. "I have given you a chance to free your friends, to let them live! Do you not understand the meaning? I am offering you your freedom, your lives! If you do not wish to accept that, then I have no choice."

Chase began to change, a transformation that Omi had seen so many times yet never gotten accustomed to. It was disgusting and fascinating at the same time, yet even through that Omi knew that it was possibly the most dangerous thing that could happen to someone. The sleek black hair disappeared into Chase's body, and the curved oval face morphed slowly into a square jaw. What had been Chase's mouth arose from his face, the mouth of a monster: jagged teeth hung from it, dangerously snapping at Omi. Claws came out of his hands and feet, and his body turned a sickly greenish brown color… a monster emerged from the human being, a terrifying monster that was evil from its head to tail. But the eyes never changed. They were evil and yellow in the human Chase as well, and they stared Omi down with a look that could scare any normal human out of their wits and make them scream.

But Omi knew that he wasn't a normal person. He had powers, and with that power he had the responsibility of being courageous and risking his life to save the lives of many others. He knew that no matter what, he could not give up right there or admit defeat by surrendering to Chase. The offer Chase had given him was a desperate measure. To have accepted that offer meant that Omi would have given up. But Omi wasn't that kind of person. He knew that no matter what happened now, he could never, ever give up. Even though Chase's form frightened him, he had to stand up to it. The entire world was depending on him and his friends.

"Orb of Tornami- Water!" Omi shouted, knowing that it wouldn't work. But that didn't matter, as long as he stalled Chase while figuring out some kind of plan.

Chase stopped the water with his sharp claws, sending it right back at Omi. Omi screamed as he was hit with the force of the entire orb, and he fell onto the ground. He looked at Clay, whose attack on Chase had also backfired.

Suddenly, Chase jumped right at Clay with his talons pointed at Clay's chest. Omi ran towards Clay, trying to save him, but in his heart he knew that he was too far away. With all his speed he kept running, but Chase had already started his strike. Suddenly, as if by an invisible force, Chase's hand was pushed out of the way and he stuttered back, his eyes wide with surprise. "What?"

Standing in the center of the area was Raimundo, standing on a rock full of his blood. His arms were in a position that Omi immediately concluded was his wind position, and he was sweating and breathing heavily. He fell to his knees again, giving Clay a thumbs-up sign. Clay stood up again, and this time he was ready to do what he could to destroy Chase Young. For Raimundo's sake, for his friends sake. And for the whole world.

--

Please review! This one didn't take that long, but I thought I did pretty good on it.


	18. The Power of the Globe

Need more updates. I'm so sorry for the long wait. Really. I HATE not being able to update, but I've been really, really busy and I haven't had much time to work on this. So I hope you'll find this chapter satisfactory. I've had, unfortunately, writer's block. Blech.

And yes, I AM gonna kill my favorite character. (Starts crying suddenly) How dare I. But it has to go with the plot, doesn't it? That's why I have to do this.

--

Clay pounded his fist into the floor, attacking Chase once again. Chase easily dodged it. Then he had a strange look on his face, and his whole body was glowing with intense black light. It seemed as if he were trying to summon something. Then, the earth began shaking all around Clay. Out of the dirt, something made of rock was elevating higher and higher… Clay realized what it was. A mountain was rising right out of this section of the underworld!

"Nice try, young monk, but does it measure up to this?" Chase asked, looking satisfied at the terror that covered every inch of Clay's face. Clay shuddered as the mountain bashed into him, and his body shook onto the ground violently as the towering mountain faltered and began crashing back down- at him. He had no prayer of surviving. He knew that now they would never defeat Chase. He closed his eyes and waited for his demise.

"Orb of Tornami- WATER!" Omi shouted over the sound of the crumbling rock. Clay could barely hear Omi, and he waited for the pain to come. It never did. Instead, Clay heard the sudden blast of water, like the waterfall he had once visited back in Texas. He wondered what it was, but didn't dare to move or close his eyes. He suddenly heard a gigantic boom of rock, thousands of tons crashing all into one area. He was flabbergasted. Was it possible that he was still alive? He opened his eyes and saw a hole where the rocks had fallen. Somehow, he was saved.

Omi walked over to Clay and gave him the thumbs-up sign. "I used my Orb of Tornami to help move the rock over there," he explained breathlessly. "Are you hurt, my good friend Clay?"

"No," Clay said. "But back when the rock was comin', I durn reckoned I was finished." At this, Omi shook his head. "I would never let that happen to you," he said kindly. Clay smiled. He owed Omi big time. But would he live long enough to pay him back?

Chase was still standing in front of them, looking bored. "Did it have to take you that long just to get that mountain to move?"

"Do not insult me-or my friends!" Omi said angrily. He made a move towards Chase, who was still staring at him blankly. His faced was filled with an expression of bored apathy as he looked directly into Omi's eyes.

"I can say what I want," Chase said. With sudden and breakneck speed, he slammed his leg into Omi's stomach. Omi gave a scream before he flew straight into a gigantic rock, clutching his stomach wildly. His face looked terrible and agonized as he hit the rock, causing it to crumble and his big head to hurt enormously.

"Omi!" Clay said without thinking. He ran to his friend to aid him, finding Omi unconscious. Omi was sweating profusely, and he looked weak and tired even from a distance. Clay felt pity for his friend.

Clay turned to Chase. "Globe of Eienko- Earth!" he shouted. He had never tested this power before, and unsure of what it would do, but wouldn't anything be worth it to destroy this terror?

Chase had a sudden look of apprehension. "What are you doing?" His voice sounded, for once, frightened. But what was it that scared Chase?

Clay raised the globe higher and concentrated on using his energy. Suddenly, everything began spinning. The rocks flew from their locations until Clay was standing on pure space. They flew all into one area- the center of the underworld. They piled up, over and over again, along with the canyons and mountains. Clay could feel something pulling him as well, but it was not strong enough to completely move him over. He saw that Chase, too, was standing his ground.

After about a minute, both Clay and Chase saw what had formed from the mysterious globe that Clay had used. A monstrous structure towered above them, a structure in the shape of neither something from Xiaolin nor Heylin. It was majestic, yet also so strange. A single stone pillar had been formed from the rocks that had been absorbed, although they didn't look like rocks anymore. It was an object of purest white energy, yet also the darkest glow. Clay and Chase both looked in wonderment at this strange pillar. What did it do? As if in response, the pillar lifted and came to Clay.

"This is amazing," he said, staring at it with marvel. It landed right above his hand. He suddenly realized that Chase was still fighting him. He gave Chase a steady, fierce gaze as he shouted once again, "Globe of Eienko!"

In an explosion of light, the pillar zoomed at Chase. Chase gave a strangled cry as it hit him, and it broke into pieces when it touched him. Chase was hurt and more vulnerable now, and then a strange thing happened. An extravaganza of color flooded the realm, and a spirit with markings like an Indian chief appeared. His gaze was cold as he went straight through Chase, whose face wrinkled with pain. Then Eienko disappeared.

Chase was clutching his chest and sweating. He gave Clay a terrible look, a look that meant he was no longer playing with him or mocking him. He sliced the air with something red, and Clay felt a searing pain through his entire upper body, and realized that somehow Chase had sliced right through his body. He gave a cry and fell, unconscious on the ground.

--

In a sheltered but uncomfortable and cramped cave, Raimundo gasped for breath. After all he had been through, it shouldn't have been a surprise that even standing up was going to be exhausting. And he had actually summoned all of his power. He felt proud of that, at least. But he knew there was nothing to be proud of. The fight wasn't over yet, and he had already become obsolete in his own wariness. It was horrible to see your friends fighting, fighting to the brink of death, while you just stood there, unable to do anything. He felt like a weakling.

"Rai! Are you okay?" Kimiko's voice rang out into the silence. It was full of concern for him, and he could hear Kimiko shuffling around to him. He fell into her arms and gave her a weak sliver of a smile. He looked at Kimiko's face, worn with dust and bruises. It was a sorry thing to see. He averted his eyes, looking at the ground.

"I-I'm fine," Raimundo said. His heart still beat with a greater speed than ever before. He knew that he was too tired to talk anymore, but pushed past the limits anyway. "Th-thanks for caring about me."

"After all you did for me? Are you insane?" Kimiko squeezed Raimundo tightly, grasping his arms and pulling him into her lap. "I'd never abandon you. You took care of me and never hurt me, even though you were desperate with injuries put on you by me. You…you could have killed me, but from what happened, I could tell that you would rather die than to do that. That's something I could never forget."

Raimundo felt warm inside, knowing what Kimiko thought. He again spoke, although his voice was softer. "How did you feel inside there? Hopeless?"

"I guess it was that way. I kept trying to break through to you, to do something, but… well… it didn't work. I was only able to penetrate once. I felt really…helpless. Panicked and desperate." Kimiko looked sober as she said this. Raimundo had never known that Kimiko could actually be one hundred percent serious, because she had always been like any normal, cheerful and energetic girl. But somehow, it didn't feel like a comfort. It felt strange, like there was some kind of burden on him. Raimundo turned his head and smiled, just a little. Then he felt pain stab through his back, and the rough feeling of something hard land on him.

"I'm sorry, but you were just breaking my heart," Chase said, his thin voice leaded with mocking. He stepped on Raimundo again, this time sending Raimundo even further down onto Kimiko's lap. Kimiko gave a cry of protest and slapped Chase, right at that moment.

"You fool," Chase said, his anger barely concealed. He took a metal-gloved hand and pounded it across Kimiko's face. For a second, nothing really happened under Chase's cold glare and Kimiko's reaction. Then Kimiko's face wore a certain bewilderment to it, and she felt it very suddenly and painfully. She clutched her face, squirming with agony. It hurt her badly, and she fell on a heap on top of Raimundo.

"You don't _ever _say that to an evil master," Chase said, his eyes glinting in the darkness. He moved from Raimundo and Kimiko's views to show that both Omi and Clay were tied up on rocks, struggling to get free. He smiled viciously at Kimiko's wide eyes and Raimundo's empty face.

"You _didn't,_" Kimiko whispered in a soft voice. She was still holding her face, and rubbing on it.

"While you two were, shall I say, flirting… I managed to defeat them both. It was challenging, I admit, but with my experience and training…" Chase waved it off.

"When I get my hands on you…" Kimiko's voice was leaded with anger. She stood up too quickly, and ended up falling down again. "Argh…"

"You can't even stand up. How will you fight me?" Chase inquired reasonably.

"Crap," Kimiko said angrily. She couldn't get up again, and her knees were still shaking. Chase gave her a sneer and walked away.

--

At the other end of the room, Omi and Clay were still struggling with the ropes that held them tightly. "How do we escape?" Omi asked desperately.

"I dunno, pardner," Clay said, his head hung. "This is horrible."

"Yes," Omi said. "I am afraid we have been defeated by Chase Young."

"I guess so," Clay said, shaking his head. "Why'd it have ta go like this?"

"Yes, my friend. I know," Omi's words were full of regret. They kept silent, because in some way both of them felt that they needed to. Then, Omi's face suddenly lit up with unquenchable hope.

"I've got it!" Omi yelled loudly. Clay looked at him quizzically. "Ya got what, pardner?"

"The way to defeat Chase Young- yes, of course! We had the answer all along! Those four Shen Gong Wu of the legendary warriors, remember? Master Fung said that when all four were combined, there would be some kind of power never seen before! If we could release that power, who knows what could happen?"

"That's it! You're a genius!" Clay exclaimed.

"Just one problem," Omi said. "How do we get to them with our arms and legs binded?"

--

Yeah, it's over. Cliffie ending again. I think cliffhanger endings are cooler, though, so why not? Thanks for keeping with me, everyone. I know I've been a VERY bad girl recently.


	19. A Revelation

OK, I think I am going to die out of embarrassment. What the heck have I been doing all these days, you're going to parade me with. I know it. And…I don't have anything to say, except 'I don't know.' I hate this. I really hate it when other people don't update for way too long, and you know what? I think I'm a hypocrite. Jeez, I get upset at other people while I'm sleeping along with them. How I hate myself. Am I getting it when I get my hands on myself.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Who cares about that?

I've been so caught up in my new stories, it's taken me a while to get back to my old ones. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It'll be a little shorter, because I have a bad case of 'fanfiction overload' because I spent about 3 hours yesterday typing up my very long one-shot, 'Sayonara Airashii Kimiko'. God, that took forever.

As for ChinaWings's query, no, I am NOT making Omi and Clay gay. Just because they were trapped and fighting together, don't let that give you ideas. Besides, since when have I ever told you that I was an Omi/Clay supporter? I'm not.

I hope I can get a little bit more of the reviews since this is very close to the end. Just a thought. You don't have to review, but it would be appreciated if you did.

Thanks.

--

Clay sighed again, looking wary. "I don't know, fella," he said in a resigned voice. "Ever since Chase Young came into the picture, our lives have been topsy-turvy for a long time. He likes tauntin' us, doesn't he? When we think we've got him, he come back again with an even worse plan."

"Yes," Omi agreed. "But if we could find a way…a way to pull through, just this once…then we might have a chance against him."

They both stared at the four Shen Gong Wu, lying there in front of them. They were ten feet away, but if they could reach them, the power that they would be given could be unstoppable. With it, they could destroy Chase. But how to get there?

"I have an idea!" Clay said excitedly. Omi gave him a 'are you sure you're okay?' stare, because he himself was still puzzling over how to do it. Clay was grinning at him, making fun of him, which was making Omi infuriated.

"What?" Omi asked, unable to stand the suspense. "WHAT IS IT?"

"Look, pardner… If we can't get to the Wu, then we gotta make the Wu come to us, get it?" Clay explained. "So what we do is, usin' our powers we draw those four durn Shen Gong Wu right to us."

"Oh," Omi said. "I knew that. But what do we…?"

"Simple," Clay said. "Wudai Crater-Earth!" He stomped the ground, as it was all he could do in such a position, causing a series of rumbles heading toward the four Shen Gong Wu. Suddenly, with a sudden snap, the Shen Gong Wu raced towards Omi and Clay's direction, which stopped right by Clay's large right foot. Clay gave Omi the thumbs-up, and Omi returned it.

"Which do we use to get out of these tight, tight ropes?" Omi asked, feeling just a little bit embarrassed that he was, for once, clueless, while Clay had evidently come up with everything they needed to get out of their situation. It felt strange to him, to be the one asking for help, when he was usually the expert. Omi even felt a slight twinge of annoyance, but he knew that this was not a time to be thinking that way.

"The Arrow of Celestia should do," Clay said hurriedly. "We better hope Raimundo and Kimiko are all right back there, wherever they are. Because Chase hasn't come back for us in a long time, and I'm thinkin' maybe he got them."

"Oh, no," Omi said, as a horrible feeling fluttered around in his small yellow stomach. What if it was too late to save his friends? What if Kimiko and Raimundo were…were… he couldn't bear to think about it, for even a second. They could be tortured now, desperately trying to get away… Omi turned his head down, forcing the thought out of his head.

"Arrow of Celestia!" Clay said, surprising Omi. Omi had been so caught up in his thoughts, he had forgotten about escaping. But Clay freed himself, using an amazing amount of foot skill that lifted the arrow upon the ropes. Then Clay slashed the ropes that bound Omi to a different rock, and together they picked up the Shen Gong Wu of the legendary warriors, ready for whatever obstacles they would come upon.

--

Omi wasn't far from guessing the truth. After leaving Raimundo and Kimiko with what they thought was a momentary peace, Chase came back in only a few minutes and smashed both of them down, hard. Although they tried hard to resist, both of them knew, deep down, that there was no hope for them. Their chances of even giving Chase a good fight, in their current state, hit zero. Even when they had enough power and energy to battle Chase, the strength that came out was not enough, either. To fight such a powerful and mighty opponent when out of power was a reckless thing to do, a sacrifice that really served no purpose.

Chase sneered at them, grinning in amusement at their weakness. He could do away with both of them now, if he desired, but first he had a few questions to ask them before he did that. Of course, he had to dispose of them sometime or the other, for they had caused so much trouble with him back then.

"So, you two monks…" Chase's voice carried off deliberately. To him, it was fun to fool around with them while they faced mortal fear.

"Yeah?" Raimundo sputtered bravely, especially in the position he was in.

"Be careful what you say to me, young Dragon of the Wind," Chase said smoothly. "For it may well decide your fate as well as your friends'."

Raimundo kept silent, as this information was obviously getting to him. Chase ignored Raimundo's still defiant glare and continued, "As you know, I was stronger than I was previously, even stronger than when I acquired part of Omi's strength into my own. How, you ask, have my powers increased so? It seems a confusing and complicated question to you, no doubt, but in reality the answer is quite simple. You know, I am sure, that Hannibal Bean has escaped from his prison due to your foolish mistake previously. Hannibal Bean was quite, should I say, angry at me for imprisoning him for such a long period of time, but I bribed him, gave to him what he did not have."

"And what was that?" Kimiko asked, curious but also fearful.

"I pondered that same question for many days," Chase replied. "Hannibal Bean said that he would allow me to go about my ways, without harming me, and even give me something useful in return if I could give him something he needed after five days."

"Get to the point," Raimundo mumbled.

"I gave him another potion, one that I concocted just recently myself. A potion that possesses powers so great, it is beyond imagination."

"And…?" Raimundo asked. "Why was this potion so important?"

"It was a potion of pure evil, a liquid that could grant the person who drank it evil powers that could never diminish, and when killed in battle, their spirit could continue to thrive and destroy. Even greater than immortality was its power," Chase said.

"So why didn't you drink it yourself, if you wanted immortality?" Kimiko asked.

"I did," Chase said, a dark glint in his direct yellowish eyes. "I tricked Hannibal into granting me a share of his powers, and then once again trapped him in the Ying-Yang world. Betrayed twice, that fool. However, I now possess both the powers of the potion and a section of Hannibal Bean's energy as well, which I fully intend to use to bring both of you and the two other warriors down."

"What?" Raimundo asked, his voice quavering. "You're going to kill us…?"

"Of course." Chase's lips broke out into a grim smile. "Did you think that, after all I did to ensnare you, that I would simply allow you to walk free, safe, once again?"

"Not really," Kimiko said bitterly, biting her lip. "But I thought there was more to you than that. Weren't you once good?"

"I'll admit, that did nag me quite a bit, remembering how I used to be noble and kind. Everytime I did something evil, my conscience kept telling me what to do. But since the potion… I've become something greater than the devil's limited grants of power. There is nothing thriving in me but pure, unstoppable evil." Chase did seem like he was telling the truth, his eyes shining brightly at the thought of murdering his foes.

"Please," Kimiko whispered, her soft voice broken with fear. "You can't kill us."

"I will," Chase said. "Right now."

Then, from behind Chase, a distinct but accented voice rang out. "No you won't," Clay said. "Not that we're here."

--

It was short. So sorry if you were expecting something really long. But I'm not really in the mood to write long chapters, so please be satisfied with what I have so far. Thanks.


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